•. 


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in  2008  with  funding  from 

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http://www.archive.org/details/dodgerubaiyatofoOOomarrich 


OMAR    KHAYYAM 


When  in  the  market-place  I  stopped  one  day 
To  watch  a  potter  pounding  his  fresh  clay, 
The  clay  addressed  him  in  a  mystic  tongue  — 
"Once  I  was  man,  so  treat  me  gently,  pray!" 

In  the  frontispiece,  Omar  is  depicted  in  the  potter's  house, 
watching  the  potter  pounding  his  fresh  clay,  and  while  lie 
watches,  he  hears  the  clay  pleading  in  a  mystic  tongue, 
"  Oh  potter,  treat  me  gently,  I  pray  thee,  for  once  I  was  a 
man,  even  as  thou  art;  and  as  the  ever-turning  wheel  of  fate 
revolves,  thou,  too,  shalt  hecome  helpless  clay,  even  as  I  am." 
And  Omar,  listening,  wonders  what  this  endless  chain  of 
recurring  life  and  death  can  mean,  —  the  clay  hecoming  man, 
the  man  hecoming  clay,  and  the  clay  becoming  man  once 
more;  life  to  death,  death  to  life,  in  alternate  succession 
through  all  the  days  of  Abad,  which  are  the  days  of  eternity 
without  end. 

Thus  it  is  that  the  philosopher-poet  is  lost  in  a  maze  of 
speculation,  and  his  face  grows  sad  at  the  utter  failure  of  his 
attempt  to  pierce  the  ' '  Secret  of  Eternity, "  the  ' '  Asrar-i-Azal  " 
that  no  mortal  man  has  ever  fathomed. 

In  the  foreground,  sit  the  potter's  children,  playing,  but 
no  thought  of  the  future  mars  for  them  the  pleasure  of  the 
passing  moment;  they  do  not  yet  know  the  signification  of 
such  words  as  life  and  death,  and  their  very  ignorance  is  a 
shield  against  trouble. 

With  Omar,  however,  it  is  otherwise,  for  he  has  not  yet 
reached  the  calm  joy  of  the  Sufi,  who  believes  that  all  life  is 
but  a  part  of  God,  and  well  might  he  cry  with  Koheleth, 
"In  much  wisdom  is  much  grief:  and  he  that  increaseth 
knowledge  increaseth   sorrow.'' 


RUBA'IYAT 

OF 

OMAR     KHAYYAM 

A  NEW  METRICAL  VERSION  RENDERED 

INTO  ENGLISH  FROM  VARIOUS 

PERSIAN  SOURCES 

BY 

GEORGE    ROE 

WITH  AN  INTRODUCTION  AND  MANY  NOTES  AND 

REFERENCES,   AND   AN    ORIGINAL 

"  ODE  TO   OMAR  " 

FRONTISPIECE    BY 
ADELAIDE    HANSCOM    LEESON 


NEW   YORK 

DODGE   PUBLISHING   COMPANY 

214-220  E.    23d   Street 


riglti 
L  <       McCn  i;  .    .v    Co. 

I  a*  »6 


Copyright 

DODGl      I'l  in  ISHIHG    <  iOMPA.Hl 


Il|  ID 


To 
MY    FELLOW    MEMBERS 

OF 

THE  OMAR  KHAYYAM  CLUB  OF  AMERICA 

AND    ESPECIALLY    TO 

MR.  NATHAN  HASKELL  DOLE 
MR.  CHARLES  D.  BURRAGE 

AXD 

MR.    EBEN    F.    THOMPSON 

THIS   VOLUME   IS   DEDICATED   AS   A    TOKEN    OF   GRATITUDE 

FOR     THE     KINDNESS     AND     ENCOURAGEMENT 

I   HAVE   RECEIVED  AT   THEIR   HANDS 


♦  ♦ 


JrW  St-w> 


KUO^ 


[A.A.C4.      J     'Lvl 


"M     Uw5  JV^i.  16  -N.U.C-*-    J    \^y*JL   l^n. 


UV 


.1 


•  t~U_.  — 


N/tVcJjU^  5  TLnft  cU  O^L  ^^  Iv*— f^-lifti. 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Introduction 7 

An  Ode  to  Omar 21 

RuBAIYAT    OF     0>IAR     KhAYYAM 29 


INTRODUCTION 

J3ETWEEN  those  English  versions  of  Omar  which  sacri- 
fice the  letter  to  the  requirements  of  good  verse  and  those 
which,  in  order  to  be  literal,  sacrifice  the  spirit  to  the  letter, 
there  is  a  great  gulf.  I  have  attempted  a  middle  course,  and 
the  following  stanzas  are  the  result. 

In  striving  to  accomplish  two  objects,  it  has  sometimes 
been  necessary  to  disregard  the  one  in  order  to  attain  the 
other,  and  hence,  while  my  desire  to  be  literal  may  have 
often  marred  my  verses,  my  desire  to  write  a  readable  poem. 
with  a  connection  between  the  stanzas  that  does  not  exist  in 
the  cliwan  form,  may  have  tempted  me  to  depart  too  readily 
from  the  letter. 

Whatever  may  be  the  faults  or  merits  of  the  translation. 
however,  I  believe  that  the  marginal  references  cannot  fail 
to  prove  valuable  to  Omarian  students.  Upon  the  left-hand 
margin  is  given  the  number  of  each  quatrain  in  the  leading 
English,  German.  French,  and  Italian  translations,  while  the 
references  upon  the  right-hand  margin  indicate  some  of  the 
MSS.  and  reproductions  where  the  Persian  text  of  the  stanza 
may  be  found. 

With  the  exception  of  Mr.  FitzGerald's  masterpiece,  the 
English  metrical  versions  selected  for  comparison  have  been 
chosen  not  so  much  for  their  merits  as  poetical  compositions 
as  because  they  are  bona  fide  translations. 

Of  the  numerous  imitations  of  Mr.  FitzGerald's  poem, 
some  are  written  with  great  smoothness,  but  even  in  the  best 
that  have  come  to  my  notice  the  epigrammatic  terseness  of 

[-] 


I  IN  T  ROD  I   CTION 


Omar  is  beaten  oul  into  Buch  a  long  string  of  musical, 
bul  thin  and  weakl)  stanzas,  that  ii  Beems  scarcely  Pair  t<> 
bang  them  upon  the  heavy-laden  peg  of  the  old  tent-makers 
reputation. 

The  compounding  <>!  two  or  more  quatrains  into  one,  <>r 
the  expanding  <>l  .1  single  quatrain  into  many,  can  be  suc- 
cessful <>!il\  111  iIk'  bands  <>l  genius;  I  have,  therefore, 
avoided  sucb  an  attempt,  and  each  <>1  m\  stanzas,  bowever 
imperfect,  is  tin*  representative  <>l  an  individual  ruba'i. 
I  nlike  other  translators  who  bave  followed  tins  method,  I 
bave,  bowever,  attempted  i<»  weave  the  separate  quatrains 
into  a  hull'  poem  whose  form  bears  n<>  resemblance  i«»  the 
disjointed  arrangement  <>l  the  original  MSS. 

1  he  metre  which  I  bave  adopted  is  the  Iambic  Pentam- 
eter, bul  I  bave  occasionally  substituted  a  Trochee  for  the 
initial  [ambus,  and  in  one  line  it  has  seemed  desirable  to 
drop  entirely   the  final   [ambus. 

Whal  appears  to  be  the  generall)  accepted  English  pro- 
nunciation of  proper  names  baa  been  used  throughout,  al- 
though Buch  form  may  offend  the  ear  <>l  ;i  purist.  Thus, 
<*T*  Kur'an,  becomes  Koran ;  t4«  Bahrdm,  becomes  Bahrain, 
etc.  Both  pronunciations  of  Bahram  are  used  l>\  Whin- 
field,  and  while  FitzGerald  writes  the  accent  upon  the  lasl 
syllable,  ii   1-  necessan   to  change  its  position   in   scanning 

the     line. 

In  selecting  the  Iambic  Pentameter,  I  bave  been  influ- 
enced rather  l»\  the  usage  of  other  translators  than  l»\  that 
ol  Omar  himself,  whose  various  forms  01  metre  generally 
contain  more  than  ten  syllables,  and  who  would,  therefore, 

[8] 


INTRODUCTION 


be   better   represented  by   a    longer    measure,    such    as    the 
Alexandrine. 

Mr.  Whinfleld  suggests,  in  his  scholarly  introduction, 
that  the  large  number  of  monosyllabic  words  contained  in 
English  counterbalance  the  brevity  of  the  decasyllabic  line, 
or,  in  other  words,  that  it  is  possible  to  express  oneself  in 
fewer  syllables  when  writing  English  than  would  be  possible 
if  Persian  were  employed.  This  would  undoubtedly  be  true 
of  that  form  of  Persian  used  in  India,  but,  as  Mr.  Scott 
Waring  pointedly  remarks,  "The  language  of  the  Persians 
is  Avonderfully  laconic,  while  that  spoken  in  India  is  ridicu- 
lously verbose  ;  in  Persia  it  is  soft  and  sweet,  in  India 
harsh  and  disagreeable."  The  very  sweetness  of  the  Persian 
tongue,  however,  the  great  number  of  similar  sounds  pleas- 
ing to  the  ear,  and  the  ease  with  which  thoughts  can  be 
musically  expressed,  give  to  Persian  poetry  an  airy  lightness 
that  could  not  be  easily  reproduced  in  Alexandrine  verses  ; 
hence  the  choice  of  a  shorter  and  lighter  measure  is  prob- 
ably well  advised,  although  it  will  be  found  that  compara- 
tively few  of  the  Iambic  Pentameters  quoted  in  the  marginal 
references  have  been  able  to  bear  the  full  burden  of  the 
Persian  quatrains  which  they  represent. 

My  translation  follows  the  original  in  that  the  first,  second, 
and  fourth  lines,  and  occasionally  all  four  lines,  are  rhymed, 
and  in  that  the  rhyme-word  is  sometimes  thrown  back  a  few 
syllables,  and  followed  by  what  is  technically  known  as  the 
"redif"  or  rearword.  This  form  of  throwback  and.  redif 
often  gives  the  quatrain  a  quaintly  musical  sound  and  is 
excellently  illustrated   by  Mr.   Nathan   Haskell  Dole  in  the 

[9l 


IN  TROD  I   CTIOIS 

following  stanzas,  which  he  has  kindl\  permitted  me  to  quote 
from  his  "  Multi-variorum      Edition  of  the  Ruba'iyafl  :  — 

•  •  v,i_'  (  >\l  Ml  !   would  thou  weri  alive  again  ! 
Then  mighl  we  surel)  see  thee  strive  again 
li>  gather  from  the  bitter  flowers  ol  Pate 


"The  Btars  -till  shine  .1-  once  thev  I » r  1  ur 1 1 1 1  \  shone. 
Winn,  as  they  watched  iIin  terrace,  nightly  shone 

The  answering  flashes  "I  lh\  love  and  hate, 
Mid  red  gleams  of  the  wine-cup  nighth  shone  I 

"The  blood-red  petals  from  the  roses  fall,  as  then  they  did, 
Death  for  u^  moderns  closes  all,  as  then  it  did  : 

We  kn<>\\  nol  more  than  thou  didst  know  of  life—to-be; 
The  ruthless  Wheel  ol  Heaven  disposes  all,  as  then  it  did. 

••  Bui  lh\  example  makes  us  brave  t<>  face  our  Pate  : 
rhere  may  l»<-  l«>\c  beyond  the  grave  to  grace  <>nr  Pate, 
\nd  we,  meanwhile,  x\  1 1 1  keep  alive  the  glovt  of  life,  to 
be 
Worth  saving,  il  great    \LL\II  deign  to  save,  to  grace  our 
Pate. 


•■  Mid  so  accepl  this  volume  as  .1  meed  of  praise, 

Miho  1 1 1  \  Pame,  so  stablished,  hath  n<>  need  oi  praise, 

Mid  thou  thyself  arl  ven  far  awa)   from  us 
vo  far,  thou  dsl  not  take  heed  of  blame  or  heed  of  praise. 

••  \  score  of  zealous  poets  have  translated  thee 
In  tongues  unheard  of  when  the  Mollalis  hated  thee, 

\  1 1 « I  now  accepl  their  tribute,  and  tin-  l,i\  from  us 
For  whom  ih\  Living  words  1 1 . 1  \ < •  re  created  thee  I 

[10] 


INTRODUCTION 


Mr.  John  Payne,  in  his  translation,  published  by  the 
Villon  Society,  has  also  illustrated  the  remarkable  construc- 
tion of  Omar's  verses,  but  with  less  success  than  Mr.  Dole. 
Indeed,  while  the  Villon  translation  indicates  a  profound 
knowledge  of  Vedantic  and  Oriental  lore,  Mr.  Paynes 
stanzas  are  sometimes  but  little  short  of  astounding,  For 
example  the  following  ruba'i  :  — 

Aio.T,^    *^>  >::^,  ^^  J&JS   j, 

is  thus  rendered  :  — 

"Those  who  of  sheer  old  wine,  unmingled,  drinkers  deep 

are, 
And  those  who  still  a-nights  in  prayer-niche  watch-a-keep 

are, 
Not  one  is  on  dry  land,  i'  the  water  all  a-heap  are, 
But  one  of  them  's  awake,  whilst  t'  others  all  asleep  are.'' 

Omar  has  had  many  translators,  in  many  tongues,  but 
Mr.  Payne's  verses  are  the  most  remarkable.  They  are 
written  in  rhyme  and  metre,  but  they  are  not  poetry ; 
they  are  marvellously  literal,  but  they  fail  to  convey  the 
spirit  ;  they  are  written  by  an  evident  master  of  prosody, 
but  they  are  almost  devoid  of  music  :  and  yet,  despite  all 
its  shortcomings,  his  long  work  of  845  quatrains  bears  the 
stamp  of  learning,   experience,   and  industry. 

In  striking  contrast  to  this  version  is  the  poem  of  Mr. 
FitzGerald.  Its  longest  edition  contains  only  no  quatrains, 
of  which  less  than  half  are  translations,  and  the  remainder 

[»] 


[NTRODl  CTION 


Inspired  m>i  onlj  h\  Khayyam  but  h\  Hafiz,  Jami,  Utar, 
and  others.  Nevertheless,  FitzGerald  bas,  with  the  magic 
touch  of  genius,  Infused  ml<>  the  i « * \\  quatrains  which  he 
has  given  us  more  of  the  spirit  of  Omar  than  ;ill  the  other 
English  translators  combined.  Careless  of  prosody,  Ins 
wiiilv  i-  lull  of  music;  ;iii  indifferent  Persian  Bcholar,  he 
grasps  the  poel  s  meaning  with  marvellous  intuition  :  w  1 1 1 1 
a  magnificent  disdain  of  the  letter,  he  presents  us  wilh  the 
kernel  of  the  thoughl  ;  and  over  the  whole  he  throws  the 
magic  mantle  of  lu^  own  personality  and  talks  to  us  in 
words  that  Qow  from  the  living  depths  of  a  poet's  soul.  In 
one  |)i>ini  ;il (mi'  Is  he  lacking,  and  that,  indeed,  i^  not  l»\ 
accident  hut  by  design,  as  he  admits  in  a  letter  l<>  Profes- 
sor Cowell.  The  point,  ;i^  I  understand  it,  refers  to  tin* 
Vedantic  doctrine  <»l  the  ultimate  reabsorption  of  the  bou) 
when  lived  from  the  world-figment  or  Maya  of  individuality, 
id  the  Brahman,  or  Impersonal  Sell  of  the  Supreme  Spirit. 
If  i^.  however,  because  he  has  <>nl\  lightly  touched  upon 
this  belief  in  two  quatrains,  one  <>!'  which  appears  to  have 
been  inspired  b>  the  Mantik-ut-Tair  of  Utar,  that  the  chief 
raison  tTelre    of  the  following  work  exists. 

Whether  the  wine  and  love  of  which  Omar  sings  are  the 
wine  and  love  ofa  Bensual  materialist,  <>r  whether  the}  have 
.1  spiritual  meaning,  such  as  Is-  generally  the  case  in  Sufi 
poetry,  is  a  much  debated  question.  Ii  is  highly  probable, 
however,  that  the}  sometimes  Bigmf\  one  thing,  sometimes 
another,  for  written  as  lln-s  were  ;ii  different  periods  and 
without  reference  to  each  other,  Hie  quatrains  appear  hut 
in  reflect   the   passing   mood   «>l    the   poet;    Bometimes  the) 


INTRODUCTION 


overflow  with  the  vivacity  of  a  strong  animal  vitality  ;  some- 
times they  are  full  of  thoughtful  speculation  and  wonder  ; 
always,  indeed,  they  are  clever  and  epigrammatic,  but  often. 
also,  do  they  tremble  with  a  note  of  sorrow  that  verges  on 
the  very  borderland  of  despair. 

That  Omar  Avas,  to  a  considerable  extent,  impregnated 
with  the  doctrines  of  the  Sufis  is  indicated  by  many  of  his 
quatrains.  Indeed  it  appears  that  the  Aryan  instincts  of  the 
more  intelligent  Persians  led  them  to  discard  the  Semitic 
materialism  of  Muhammad  for  a  belief  more  profound  and 
spiritual  than  anything  their  Arab  conquerors  could  teach 
or  appreciate.  Thus  it  was  that  the  Sufi  doctrine  arose,  a 
pure  pantheism  that  regarded  God  as  an  eternal  spirit,  with- 
out beginning  and  without  end, — a  spirit  from  which,  at 
the  beginning,  our  souls  emanated  and  to  which,  in  the 
end,    they  surely  will  return. 

This  doctrine,  which  was  expounded  by  Plato  to  the 
Western  world,  and  by  the  profoundest  of  Vedanta  philoso- 
phers to  ancient  Hindustan,  found  a  fertile  soil  among  the 
thinking  minds  of  Persia,  who,  impelled  by  their  environ- 
ment to  an  outward  observance  of  Muhammadanism,  never- 
theless used  it  but  as  a  cloak  to  cover  the  tenets  of  a  purer 
and  a  loftier  creed.  Thus,  while  both  Sufi  and  orthodox 
Muhammadan  believed  in  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  the 
former  professed  a  belief  in  the  final  reabsorption  of  the 
individual  spirit  in  the  divine  essence,  while  the  latter 
looked  forward  to  a  material  paradise  where  he  could  drink 
wine  and  rejoice  himself  with  black-eyed  houris,  by  the 
crvstal  waters  of  the  River  Ivusar. 


INTR0D1   CTION 


The  Moslem,  filled  with  visions  of  a  material  heaven, 
more  delightful  («»  him  than  the  prospect  of  a  spiritual  re- 
union with  God,  boldl)  faces  death  in  the  assurance  of 
sensual  pleasures  thai  awail  him  in  Paradise;  the  Sufi,  on 
the  other  hand,  believes  even  Paradise  to  !><'  a  part  <>l  the 
Mini  or  illusion  ili.it  he  i-  seeking  to  escape,  and  though 
he  ma)  welcome  death  as  a  Btep  toward  the  boundless  b 
ol  divine  love  for  winch  he  longs,  ofttimea  he  can  no  I  for- 
bear a  Bigh  <>l  regret  for  the  lovel)  world  be  is  leaving. 
I  In*  spring  breezes,  the  fragrant  dowers,  the  pleasures  ol 
beauty  and  <>l  Love  <',ni  Bcarce  !»<•  forsaken  without  ;i  passing 
ghade  ''I  sorrow  :  but  as  the  bride  weeps  for  the  friends  she 
is  Leaving,  yet  feels  a  new  jo)  within  her  heart,  bo  the  Sufi 
sighs  farewell  to  the  pleasures  and  beaut)  of  the  \n  <  >  1 1  <  1  and 
turns  toward  the  source  of  his  being  in  confidence  and 
peace. 

Rejoice  in   the   Bpring  and   be  glad,   for  the  roses  will 

bloom   when   \«>u  are  here  no  more,      Bang  rlafii  ;    but   Ik1 

knew    that    when    the   roses   were    blooming  over    his   grave 

In-    bouI     might    perchance    be    reabsorbed    in    the    divine 

ace,    for  be  has  told   us  that 

i*  The  ocean  <»l  divine  love  is  an  ocean  that  hath  no  Bhore, 

In  winch  we  1 1 . i \ < '  no  remed)  hnt  i(>  yield  up  our  bouIs    to 
God]." 

v<>.  too,  our  Omar  h.i^  told  us  that  the  |>.iih  <>i  love  will 
Lead  our  bouIs  till  the)  are  lost  in  the  fountain  of  life.  But 
Omar  tells  n-  1 1 1 . 1 1 1 \  things  which  we  cannot  easil)  reconcile, 
for  he  i-  not  the  Bame  Omar  to  da)   thai  he  was  ycsterdaYi 

I  •'■  i 


INTRODUCTION 


and  who  knows  in  what  vein  we  may  find  him  to-morrow  ! 
In  one  mood  he  bids  us  drink  and  rejoice,  for  soon  shall  we 
lie  beneath  the  dust ;  and  in  another  he  warns  us  not  to  sell 
the  countless  ages  of  eternity  for  the  sake  of  earth' s  momen- 
tary pleasures.  Now  he  rises  in  anger  against  tbc  ruthless 
Heaven  that  has  thrust  him,  helpless  and  unwilling,  into  a 
life  whose  weary  struggles  are  ended  only  by  death  ;  and 
now  he  turns  lovingly  to  the  eternal  source  of  being  and 
says  that,  knowing  the  secret  of  truth,  he  has  no  concern 
about  a  material  heaven  or  hell.  Sometimes  agnostic, 
sometimes  full  of  childlike  faith  ;  now  rebellious,  and  again 
in  a  little  while  fdled  with  the  spirit  of  gentle  thankfulness, 
he  is  in  all  his  moods  so  human,  so  like  ourselves,  that  his 
words  find  an  echo  in  every  heart.  And  though  in  distant 
Nishapur  he  has  been  so  long  asleep,  his  voice  comes  to  us 
down  the  ages,  still  vibrating  with  the  energy  and  magnet- 
ism of  life,  for  his  Avords  are  never  distant,  affected,  or  cold, 
but  always  the  honest  outpourings  of  a  living,  human  soul. 

That  the  Sufis  employed  such  terms  as  wine,  beauty,  and 
kisses  to  express  religious  devotion,  the  perfection  of  the 
Divine  Being,  and  the  raptures  of  piety,  is  undoubted  ;  but 
that  they  sometimes  used  them  in  a  sense  other  than  spiritual 
appears  equally  sure.  In  reading  their  poetry,  therefore 
one  must  determine  from  the  context  whether  the  meaning 
is  literal  or  spiritual,  although  it  seems  that  the  conclusions 
thus  reached  are  often  dependent  upon  the  individual  tem- 
perament of  the  reader  rather  than  upon  the  exercise  of  an 
unbiased  critical  faculty.  It  would  be  well,  however,  to 
bear  in  mind  that  one  of  the  greatest  among  them  has  told 


[NTR0D1  GTION 


us  bow  ■•iln\  profess  i  iger  desire,  l>nt  with  no  carnal 
affection,  and  circulate  the  cup,  but  qo  material  goblet; 
Mine  all   things  are   spiritual    in   their   Beet,   ;ill   is   mysten 

w  il  Inn    ni\  Bterj  • 

The  eighl  concluding  quatrains,  winch  are  not  properh 
,i  part  of  this  translation,  were  suggested  l»\  Mr.  PitzGeralds 
version,  and  have  been  retained  « » 1 1 1  \  because  the>  afford  an 
c.i-\  method  <>l  indicating,  l»\  marginal  references,  some  oi 
the  sources  of  his  charming  Kuza  Nama. 

Where  Omar  plays  1 1 1 >< > 1 1  words,  as  For  example  where 
e>U*  (jan),  the  soul,  r^  (pun).  ;i  cup,  and  v-^»  (jama),  .1 
garment,  all  occur  in  the  same  line,  I  have  generally  re- 
Borted  l<»  the  clumsy  expedienl  <>f  ;i  footnote.  \l>«»  where 
the  point  <»l  ;i  verse  depends  upon  the  position  <>l  a  Bingle 
dot,  .1-  in  quatrain  <>•>.  mere  translation  would  be  ;i  totally 
inadequate  method  of  conveying  the  meaning. 

To  this  Latter  form  <>l  word-pla^  the  Vrabic  alphabet 
readil)  Lends  itself;  hence,  in  Persian,  l»\  merely  altering 
the  position  <>l  ;i  <l<>l.  the  meaning  <»l  in;in\  words  maj  !><• 
changed.  So  il  happens  that  ;i  trifling  change  <>l  position 
will  cpnverl  a  neighbor  ->L>  (jar)  into  a  thorn  ^  (khar) 
and  cause  crime  I  r^  (jurm)  to  become  delightful  r_^  (khur- 
rinn).  while  the  addition  of  a  dot  will  converl  the  seas  J^* 
(bihar)  into  vapor  ,'--  (bukhar),  or  transform  the  solution 
of  a  problem  ^-  (hall)  into  the  sail  of  a  ship  S>  (jail);  '• 
the  position  <>l  the  <l<>i  be  changed,  however,  bo  thai  3^ 
1  pilh  reads  ^  (khall),  the  ship's  sai/will  be  converted  into 
vinegar.  The  footnotes  treating  of  these  and  other  matters 
were  originally  much   more  copious,  but   I   thought   it   wise 

l  16  l 


INTRODUCTION 


to  reduce  them  Avhen  I  recollected  a  story  of  an  old  Scotch 
lady  who,  after  having  praised  in  high  terms  the  clearness 
of  a  certain  work,  added  ingenuously  that  she  "  hoped,  with 
a  mickle  mair  study,  to  understand  the  explanatory  notes  of 
the  editor." 

Working  far  from  the  great  lihraries  of  the  world,  it  has 
not  been  possible  for  me  to  verify  all  the  right-hand  marginal 
references.  Most  of  them  have  been  made  upon  the  author- 
ity of  Mr.  Whinfield's  edition  of  i883  and  have  been  verified 
as  far  as  possible  by  comparison  with  other  reproductions, 
while  the  remainder  arc  the  result  of  my  own  investigations. 

I  desire,  also,  to  acknowledge  the  assistance  I  have  re- 
ceived from  the  works  of  Mr.  FitzGerald,  Mr.  Heron-Allen, 
Mr.  Nathan  Haskell  Dole,  and  others,  and  to  express  my 
thanks  to  those  friends  whose  severe  but  kindly  criticism 
has  been  warmly  appreciated. 

GEORGE   ROE. 

San  Astonio,  Texas, 

September,  i,  1906. 


\i;m;k\i  \ti<>\ 


Bod  . 

Gad  . 

1   G 

II 

1   «,  . 

\ 

II  \ 

ii  r 

Met 

\ 

Vill. 
Von 


isiedt'a  German   I  ranslation  ;   Breslau,  i.n    i8€ 
.1.  E.  Cadell's  English  Translation ;  John  Lane,  London  and  New  York, 

Second  Edition  of  FitzGerald's  English  Translation  ;  London,  i  d 

Fifth 

Garner's  American  Translation ;    Philadelphia,  \  n    \~ 

Heron-Allen's  English  Translation  of  Ouselej   MS.;    London,  i 

\  t ti  Hammer-Purgstall's  German   Translation,    "  Geschichte  d<  i 

run  Redekiinste  Persiens,     |    -  Vienna,   isis 

McCarthy's  English  Translation;    London,  \i».   [88g 
French  Translation  ol  Nicolas;    Paris,   1867. 
Pizri's   Italian    Translation,    "Storia  della    Poesia    Persiapa,"    Vol.    I. 

Turin.    is'i'i 

Payne's  Translation,  published  b)  the  Villon  Society  :    London,   is'is 
Von  Shack's  German  Translation;   Stuttgart,  \  d    is_s 
Whinfield's  English  Translation;    London,   l.d.    [88  I 


\.  \lv    formerl)  in  possessi fthe  Asiatic  Society,  Calcutta;  qow  either 

lost  •■!  stolen. 

B,  <  tuselej   \l<  .  in  Bodleian  Library,  <  Oxford. 

C,  Calcutta  Printed  Edition  of  1  d    [836. 

D,  India  Office  MS      No    - ',  10 
I  .  ■•         »  No 

I  .  I. in  kn<>\\  Lithograph 

<..  Edition  ol  Nicolas,  copied  from  Teheran  Lithograph. 

II.  Whinfield's  Persian  Texl  ;   i.d.  [8* 


AN      ODE      TO      OMAR 


AN     ODE     TO     OMAR 


XVHAYYAM,  old  friend,  although  so  long  asleep 
In  distant  Nishapur,  where  roses  heap 
Their  petals  o'er  thy  grave,  hoAV  oft  1  hear 
Thy  living  voice  re-echo  o'er  the  deep  ! 


From  Breslau's  gates,  Vienna's  spacious  halls, 
Or  where  Turin  uprears  her  hoary  walls, 
In  deep  Germanic  chaunt,  or  dulcet  lay, 
The  subtle  singer  of  Khorasan  calls. 

3 

Through  Albion's  isle  and  o'er  the  Western  main, 
In  streams  of  lofty  music,  hark  the  strain 
Of  mystic  numbers  sung  by  thee  of  old, 
And  now,  by  other  lips,  oft  sung  again. 


Not  thine  to  scatter  bricks  along  the  sea, 
Not  thine  such  tasks  of  vain  idolatry  ; 
Methinks,  e  en  now,  I  hear  thy  living  tongue 
Scathe  shallow  priest  and  canting  Pharisee :  — 


\  \     ODE     TO     OM  A  II 


••()  poor  I»IiimI  teacher,  \\li<>  would  lead  the  blind 
In  things  beyond  the  ken  ol  mortal  mind, 
Priest,  mystic,  scholar  —or  whate  er  you  l><' — 
Firsl  seek  th*'  mystery,  yourself, — and  find. 

6 

•  •  ( )[•  know   you  where  I li<'  <'n<l  < >l  space  ma \  lie  ? 

( )r  w  here  I  li<i  limits  ol  eternil  \  ? 

Or  whal  is  space,  or  universe,  or  God? 

Or  \\li\  \<»u  live,  or  wherefore  you  musl  die  ? 


Alas,  1 1 1  n  spirit .  Fearless  i  >l  I  he  rage 
\ 1 1 < I  thoughtless  fun  (,l  ;|  bigol  age, 
Like  lesser  spirits,  long  has  passed  awaj 
To  1 1 1 <  1  < 1 1 * 1 1  scenes  behind  ilu^  mortal  stage 


l'i ii-  -till  i he  same  eternal  lav*  appears 
Thai  ruled  creal  ion  I  hr<  >ugh  i  he  byg<  >ne  )  ears, 
Thai  shaped  I  he  pathv*  .i\  i >f  each  speck  i  >l  dusl 
\ml  traced  the  courses  <'l  the  heavenn  spheres 

i  ■•  ■■  i 


AN    ODE    TO    OMAR 


9 
Thus  pow'r  and  wisdom  reach  their  lowly  bed, 
And  shah,  like  peasant,  joins  the  countless  dead  ; 
Nor  thinks  of  him  who  mounts  the  empty  throne, 
Nor  heeds  the  feet  that  trample  o'er  his  head. 

10 
And  lo,  the  spot  where  mighty  sultans  sate, 
Yon  lofty  pile  where  Jamshyd  held  his  state, 
Where  nobles  feasted  and  where  beauty  smiled, 
Behold  the  crumbling  Avail,  the  fallen  gate! 

ii 
Through  yon  dim  corridor  the  vampire*  flits, 
'Neath  yon  bleak  tow'r  the  busy  spider  knits 
Her  crafty  trap,  the  dismal  night-owl  hoots, 
And  o'er  the  wasting  dome  the  vulture  sits ! 

12 
For  death  must  visit,  silent  and  alone, 
The  humble  cot,  the  sultan's  lofty  throne ; 
And  while  Ave  ponder  Avhat  the  riddle  means, 
The  life  Ave  ponder  is  already  gone. 

*  The  true  vampire  is  found  onl\  in  South  America,  but  the  bats  that  infest 
the  cave-temples  and  ancient  ruins  of  India  are  generally  known  as  vampires  to 
Anglo-Indians. 

[23] 


A  N    ODE    TO    OMAB 


1 3 

And  so  Khayyam,  old  Friend,  thou  couldsl  nol  staj 

And  ah,  li'»w  often  have  I  heard  thee  saj — 
••  \<ii  one  returns  l<>  counl  the  journey  o*er; 
The  II <  >\\  r  that  dies  is  cut  passed  away  I M 

1 4 

T  II  strive  not,  then,  the  myster\  to  sill  — 

Fast  roll  the  years,  the  sands  of  life  run  swift — 

But  quaff  the  bowl,  hail  beaut")  with  a  kiss, 

Ami  lease  the  \»'il  for  coming  death  to  lift. 

i5 

And  yet,  perchance,  —  what  mortal  thing  can  say, 
Thai  wondrous  soul  thai  lived  within  lliv  <l.i\ 
And  gave  il  |x>\N  i'  to  think  and  feel  and  love, 
II  ilh  vanquished  death  and  triumphed  i»  er  decay. 


i6 
\nd  a\  at  night,  when  darkness  firsl  descends, 
\\  hen  evening  s  \<'d  o  er  all  the  earth  extends, 
The  vanished  stars  again  bedeck  the  sky, 
\  1 1  €  I  shimm  ring  lighl  From  Heaven  s  vaull  depends; 


AN    ODE    TO    OMAR 


T7 
Or  when,  near  daAvn,  behind  the  pearly  gray 
And  rosy  streaks  that  herald  coming  da\ . 
The  sun  returns,  in  crimson  glory  clad, 
So  shall  thy  soul  return, — perchance  it  may. 

18 
Perchance  to  Nature's  fount  fled  back  thy  soul, 
Where  seas  of  love,  in  endless  billoAvs,  roll ;  *  — 
Perchance  within  the  Source  of  Life  'twas  merged, 
And  lost  again  amidst  the  Mighty  Whole. 

*9 

A  cup  awaits  us  at  the  river' s  brink, 
Y\  here  souls  are  freed  from  Earth's  enslaving  link  ; 
And  when  the  radiant  angel,  kindly  Death, 
Invites  our  souls,  we  shall  not  fear  to  drink. 

20 
But  swift  as  rain-drops  to  the  ocean  fall, 
Y\  e  soon  shall  join  thee  at  the  angel's  call, 
And  thou  and  we  shall  all  be  merged  in  God. — 
The  Source,  the  Stay,  the  final  End  of  All. 

*Compare  Hafiz :  — 

The  ocean  of  divine  love  is  boundless; 
\\  e  have  no  remedy  hut  to  vield  up  our  souls. 
I  25  1 


RUBA'IYAT     OF     OMAR     KHAYYAM 


RUBAIYAT  OF  OMAR  KHAYYAM 


Bod.,  IX,  28 

I 

Lo,  dawn  is  rending  night's  dark  veil 

A 

C 

D,E, 

Gar.,  VI,  2 

, 

F 

G, 

H 

McC.,i46 

in  twain  ; 

IS.,  255 

Arise  !    Arise  !   and  morning's  goblet 

Vill.,5i5 

drain  ; 

W.,295 

Drive   grief  away,   for  many  a  rosy 

morn 
Will  seek  us  here,  and  seek  us  long 

in  vain. 

2 

Bod.,X,i 

And  know  ye  why  the  herald  of  the 

A, 

c, 

D,E, 

Gar.,  I,  1 
McC.,419 

day,* 

F, 

G, 

il 

N.,  426 

With   clarion  voice,    peals   forth    his 

Vill.,819 

VonS.,  224 

morning  lay? 

W.,463 

"Behold,"  he  cries,   "the  mirror  of 

the  dawn  ; 
A  precious   night  again    has   slipped 

away  I 

3 

F.G.,V,i 

Now   wakes    Khurshyd  f    on    yonder 

A, 

c, 

D,  E, 

Gar.,T,  2 
Vill.j24a 

flaming  height, 

F, 

II 

W.,233 

And    o'er   the   city   flings   a  robe   of 
light; 

*  -^*"'j«ji**  (khurus-i-sahar),  the  morning  cock 

3 
f  »iys*i^?2^     (khurshyd),  the  sun. 


11  I    BA'n    V  T    OF    0  M  \  R    KHAYYA  M 


Kai-Khosru  -like*  he  (ilia  the  bo*  I  of 

I1K   'Ill 

\\  iih    golden    w  ine  '    to    pledge   the 
parting  night. 


Bod  .i\.  .v,     Bul    ere    the   Bun   arose   in    (lashinc        v<  ■  "•' 


I    G     \  ,  a  ■  , 

Gar.,  1,  ao  I 

McC.,  i83        Or  Phantom  I  >;iw  n  J  peeped  through 

tlic  mountain  side, 

P.,  i 

\  ,n    ,  •  •  ( Some    lill   < »in    cups  ere   Fate  our 

N ••«•  S  .  [3g  cupg  8hal]  lill  !  ' 

\    lu-i\    voice   Imiii  nut   the   tavern 
cried. 


i  .<..  ii 


Kai-Khosru,  the  greatest   monarch  ol   the  Sassanian  dynasty,  was  noted   foi 

his  lavish  generosity.     Omar  i ■  probably,  however,  refers  to  Ihe  mythical  king 

ol  the  Shah  Namah,  who  is  often  identified  with  the  Cyrus  ol  the  Greeks. 

\  rhe  Calcutta  MS  reads  >.f-  muhrah),  a  stone,  instead  of  9A\4  (hadah  . 
in  othei  MSS.,  and  evidentlj  inspired  the  opening  quatrain  ■•! 
Mi  FitzGerald'a  first  edition,  ■  stanza  much  closer  to  Omar  than  the  later 
variations,  bul  which  was  believed  bj  Mr  Mdis  Wrighl  to  have  been  entirely 
original  Where  the  word  muhrah  i*  used,  the  meaning  is  that  the  sun  casta 
in  the  cup,  bul  where  badah  is  used,  the  meaning  is  thai  the  sun  pours 
wine  iti  the  cup.  Throwing  a  stone  in  a  i  up  is,  ol  course,  ■  signal  among  the  wan- 
dering krabs  for  breaking  camp  and  starting  upon  a  new  journey. 


I        Phantom  Dawn,   or  Subhi   Kazim,  is  here  introduced  for  the  sake  of 

local  colour,  although  il  is  nol  found  in  the  test  of  the  quatrain       In  Persia  there 

■re  two  dawns,       the  Subhi  Kazim,  oi  False  Dawn,  and  the  Subhi  Sadik,  i  i    I 

Dawn       rhe  False  Dawn,  which  bas  .ill  the  appearance  ol  daybreak,  takes  place 

I  yq  hours  before  the  True  Dawn,  and  is  quickly  followed  t « >  intense  dark 

t  ■  I  :      Pei     ins  ha vi    For  this  phenomenon  a  fanciful  explanation.     They  aaj 

the  sun   riaea  it    shines  through   •■  hole  in    Mount   Kal   and  i  tuses  the 

mce     i  daybreak       Kt  it  continues  to  ascend,  ihe  earth  is  again  plunged 

t  3o  ] 


RUBA'IYAT    OF    OMAR    KHAYYAM 


5 

Bod.,  I,  17 
dad.,  io3 
F.G.,V)77 
HA,  2 

And  better  far,  with  Thee,  in  taverns 

learn , 
Than  in  the  temple  from  Thy  visage 

A,B,C,D, 
E,F,G,H 

McG.,87 

turn.* 

IV.,  222 
Vill.,465 

Oh,   First   and   Last   of  all   creation 

VonS.,17 

Thou,t 

W.,262 

Whate'er  Thou  Avilt,  or  cherish  me 
or  burn. 

into  darkness  until  the  sun  reaches  the  crest  of  the  mountain  and  brings  -with 
it  the  True  Dawn,  or  Subhi  Sadik. 
Compare  Milton:  — 

"Ere  the  babbling  Eastern  scout, 
The  nice  morn  on  th'  Indian  steep, 
From  the  cabin'd  loop-hole  peep." 

Vide  page  107,  Waring's  "Tour  to  Sheeraz,"  London,  1807. 
The  ancient  Persians  believed  that  the  earth  was  flat  and  encircled  by  Mount 
Kaf;   thus  Rumi  writes  of  the  "world-encircling  Kaf." 


*  i.e.,  "Repeat  the  nemaz  at  the  mihrab  without  Thee." 

The  nemaz  are  prayers  which  Muhammadans  are  enjoined  to  repeat  five  times 
daily. 

The  mihrab  is  a  praying-niche  in  a  mosque,  showing  the  direction  of  Mecca, 
toward  which  the  worshipper  turns. 

f  ^»T  ,  j5l  (Awwalu  Akhar).  Compare  Revelation  XXII,  i3:  "I  am  Alpha 
and  Omega,  the  beginning  and  the  end,  the  first  and  the  last."' 

Arabic  words  like  J;V  and  ^f  were  introduced  into  Persia  by  the  Moslem 
conquerors,  as  words  of  Latin  origin  were  introduced  into  England  bj  the  Nor- 
mans. There  is  this  great  difference,  however,  —  the  English  have  assimilated 
the  Latin  and  made  it  a  part  of  their  own  language,  while  Arabic  words  and 
phrases  introduced  into  Persia  have  not  only  largely  retained  their  own  forms, 
but  have,  by  force  of  example,  given  Arabic  inflections  to  man)  Persian  words. 
Thus  ruba'i  becomes  in  the  plural  ruba'iyat,  and  navishtah  becomes  navishtajat, 
instead  of  retaining  the  Persian  plural  in  ha.  Latin  words  used  in  English, 
however,  generally  take  the  English  inflection,  while  even  those  words  which 
still  retain  the  Latin  termination  often  admit  also  of  the  English  form. 

r  3i  1 


RUBA'IYAT    OF    OMAR     KHAYYAM 


Cad.,  6 
Gai  .  [,6 

II     \   .; 

N    .,, 

Vill.,a8 

Von  S.,  'i 

\\   .  •• 


Bod.,  VI,  i 
io 

I  G . ,  V ,  4 
Gai  .  II.  i 

II  \  .  i3 

Mil..  ',:»', 

W..Il6 


\.  r..  <  .  h. 
1  .  i  .<;.  n 


6 
Elate  I  stand  beside  the  fallen  door, 
M \  raiment  |>;iw  ned  ;  bearl .  soul,  and 

cup  paid  <>  <•!•  : 

\litl.    Unfiled    \\  llli     \\  IMC,     I    k  W  »\\     ||<  »l 

hope  nor  fear  ; 
0  er  lire  and  \\ ater,  earth  and  air  I 
soar. 


But   l«>.   w  Ithoul .   the  \ ear  is  \ oung       B,  ii 

and   fair, 
\inl   yearning  hearts  t<>  stilly  meads 

repair  ; 


Sii   William  Jones   admirably    illustrates   the  difference  between  the  unassimi- 

lated   Vrabii   of  the  Persian  and  the   assimilated  Latin  of  the  English,  b)  quoting 

hi    Middle  ton's  Life  "l   Cicero  and  rewriting  the  passage  with  man] 

■  >f  the  words  in  their  unmodified   Latin   form  after  the  manner  of  Arabic  words 

used  in  Persia.     The  quotation  illustrating  lli«'  English  strut  lure  reads: 

"The   true  Lw    is  righl    reason  conformable  l"  the  nature  "I   things,   which 
calls  ii-  i"  'lni\  1  > %  commanding,  deters  us  from  sin  1>\   forbidd 

The  Persian  method  is  shewn  thus:  — 
••'I'll.-  true  lex  is  recta  ratio  conformable  naturae,  which  bj  commanding  voce! 
ad  officium,  b]  forbidding  a  fraude  deterreat." 

6 

*    ^j^  ^    (kunj-i-kharab)  is,   literally,   a  corner  of  desolation.      The   Pei 
nan  taverns  were  generally  situated  in  desolate  corners  or  in  the  ruins  upon  the 
outskirts  ol  a  Iom  n. 

:    Noti   thi    r<   emblance  of  the   words  ^,1^.  (jan),  the  soul ;  tl      jam),  a  cup; 
and    Kwl^k  (jama),  a  garment;  all  of  which  occur  in  the  same  line. 


hence ,  Spri  n g . 


bakhuahi    dastrasi     is,    literally,    i ans  ol    happ 

I  3a  I 


RUBA'IYAT    OF    OMAR    KHAYYAM 


The  hand  of 

Musa   shines  on  ev'ry 

bough, t 

The     breath 

of   Tsa     rises     on    the 

air.  J 

8 

Cad.,  86 

For  now  't  is 

Spring,  when  verdure 

A,  B,C,D, 

H.A.,8o 
McC,  91 

N.,186 

clothes  the  land, 
And  flow  rs  gleam   white   as    Musa's 

1  .  G,  H 

Vill.,276 
W.,  201 

snowy  hand  ; 
The  breath  of  Tsa  wakes  the  sleeping 

earth, 

And  kindly  rains  refresh  the  thirsty 

sand.* 

f  The  Persians  hold  that  when  Mum-,  withdrew  his  hand  from  his  bosom,  as 
described  in  Exodus  IV,  6,  it  was  not  "leprous  as  snow."  but  that  it  shone  with 
a  beautiful  whiteness. 

J  The  Muhammadans  believe  that  the  breath  of  Tsa  (Jesus)  has  the  power  of 
raising  the  dead. 


8 
*  Lit.,  In  the  hope  of  rain,  the  eyes  (of  the  earth)  open. 

Note  the  play  upon  the  words  r^   (chashm)  hope,   and  ^-^>  (chashmha) 
eyes. 

Nicolas,  however,  reads  &  .Aj  v^S  (dida)  as  a  synonym  for   ^^>  • 
This  stanza  has  been  rendered  into  quaint  Latin  by  FitzGerald  :  — 

"Tempus  est  quo  Orientis 
Aura  mundus  renovatur, 
Quo  de  fonte  pluviali 
Dulcis  Imber  reservatur; 
Musi-Manus  undecumque 
Ramos  insuper  splendescit ; 
Jesu-spiritusque  Salutaris 
Terram  pervagatur." 
3  F  33  1 


It  I    P.  \  n    \  T    OF    0  M  \  li    KHAYYA  \1 


Cad  .,87 
II    \     - 
Vill.,a75 
W..  aio 


I  be  morning  dews  bedeck  the  tulip  a 
face, 

The  \  ioleta  bend  their  beads  \\  iili 
timid  grace, 

\inl  fairer  still,  the  rosebud's  pet- 
;.ll,l  veil 

Shields  blushing  check  from  Zeph- 
yr's -"li  embrace. 


i'..  i  .  u 


Bod., VIII, a 3    Nor*  warm,  nor  cold,  the  da)  dawns 

bright  and  fair, 

I . I  •  ,  V,  6 

II     \   ..,; 

Y.  [53 
Vill  . 
VonS 

W    .  .-', 


I:.  I  .  <..  II 


The  rain-kissed  Qow'rs  pe 

'fume  iIk' 

morning  air  : 

\ in  1  bark  !   in  Pahlai  i      lli« 

i  bulbul  | 

(nils  — 

"Come,  drooping  |  rose, 

Ins    dew \ 

vintage  share." 

•  Pahlavi  was  the  language  of  the  am  ienl  Persians,  in  whi<  h,  il  was  said,  the 
nightingale  continued  to  sing  Mi  I  itzGerald  calls  il  "the  old  heroic  Sanscrit," 
Imt  it  is,  in  reality,  the  name  applied  I"  the  ancienl  Zoroastrian  writings.  Ven 
manj  "I  its  words  were  written  in  a  form  thai  gave  no  clue  to  their  pronunciation, 
I  ,   words  being  represented   bj    Semitic  equivalents  and   these  equivalents 

being  pronounced  and  inflected  like  Persian,  as  when  we  write  for  the  1 
word  pound  the    Latin   word  libra,  contracted   into  lb  .  bul  give  il   the   English 
pronunciation  pound  and  the  English  inflection  bj  writing  the  plural  lbs. 

Perhaps  il  was  partlj  be*  suae  Firdusi  drew  the  themes  ol  his  greal  poem  •  •  II..- 

Shah   Namah"from  the  ancienl    Pahlavi   re Is,  that  his  countrymen  attributed 

so  sweet  a  melodj  to  this  old  Persian  tongue. 

f   Bulbul,  the  nightingale. 

J    ^  t  •,    sard        yellow,  sallow,  pallid  ;      hence,  sickly,  drooping. 

I  34  | 


RUBA'IYAT  OF  OMAR  KHAYYAM 


II 

McC.  \ 

Then  sings  the  rose,    "As  Yusufs  * 

F,  H 

Vill.,608 
W.,35a 

flower  I  reign  ; 

Come    touch    my   lips   and  jewelled 
kisses  gain." 

"Oh,    lovely   flow'r,    then  where  is 
Yusufs  sign  ?  " 

"  Behold,  my  silken  robe  with  blood- 
red  stain.'' 

12 

Cad.,  5 1 
F.G.,Y,  19 

O'er  beauty's  grave  the  gentle  zephyr 
blows, 

A,  B,F,H 
Whinfield 

Gar.,I\  ,6 
HA, 43 
H.P.,16 

Yill.,109 
Yon  S.,  1 01 
W.,  io4 

From   beauty's  cheek  the   blue-eyed 

violet  grows  ; 
And  see,  where  royal  crimson  stained 

the  sod, 
The  flaming  tulip  blossoms  near  the 

rose.* 

does  not 
give  A 

*  Yusuf  (Joseph)  has  been  called  the  Adonis  of  the  Persians.      He  was  consid- 
ered the  type  of  manly  beauty. 


■■■    "Everywhere  that  a  rose  and  a  tulip  bed  hath  been, 
From  the  crimson  blood  of  a  king  hath  it  been; 
Every  violet  that  grows  from  the  earth 
Is  a  mole  that  upon  the  cheek  of  a  beauty  hath  been." 

This  stanza  has  been  rendered  by  Ralph  Waldo  Emerson  thus :  — 

"Each  spot  where  tulips  prank  their  state 
Has  drunk  the  life-blood  of  the  great ; 
The  violets  yon  field  which  stain 
Are  moles  of  beauties,  Time  hath  slain." 
[35  1 


R  L  HA  I  V  A  T    OF    <>  \l  \  II     KHAYYA'M 


Cad.,  47 

II    \     . 

\ill.,  105 


1 3 

A\  (irii  Springtime  wafts  ber  per- 
fumes <  i  er  I  be  lea . 

By  n\ er's  brink .  w  illi  plaj  mates  fond 
and  free,  : 

I  pledge  ii i \  l<>\ ••  in  morning  -  joyful 

In  >w  I . 

\inl  w  ti.it  is  mosque  or  -\  nagogue 
to  me  ! 


Bod, II,  ig 

m  ,  Some  talk  01  Hea>  n.  where  streams  \.<; 

N-.  169  lite  (Cusar     How  . 

Nl"  tii  in         111 

yong  \111l    nouns   dwell,   and    gOlueil    vme- 

< lorn]  yards  mow  ; 

.  '    '  '.     .,  Bui  till  in\  cup  and  give  me  beaul \ 

and  6a  here. 

II    \  ..V, 
II    P 

w  .Vi.-.hI              promise  go  . 



\h.    give    lliem    now .    and    lei    the 


,:i 


*   J&AoJ    Fasl-i-gul)       In  time  of  1 .   hence,  Springtime. 

+   Lit.,  With  one,  two,  three  young  playmates  like  houris.     (Lucknow   I. ill: 


•    ll,,    ku-,11  is  a  stream   io   Paradise.     Vide  Koran,  chapter  entitled 
Kusai        Compare  Hafu 

!  ,-  p i  -.  ,,,.,..,  ,.L,  ,..    , ,  r.\  1 

•*To  morrow  the  waters  ''I  Ihc  Kusar  anil  a  houri  awail  me; 
\ip|  to  da\  I  enjo)  a  beautiful  mistress  and  a  <  up  '>t  wine 

I  36  I 


RUBA'IYAT    OF    OMAR    KHAYYAM 


Bod.,X,i6 
F.G.,V,i2 
Gar.,  I,  8 
H.A.,i49 
McC,  449 
N.,4i3 
ViU.,8ag 
VonS.,  125 
W.,45a 


Bod.,  IX,  8 

Cad.,i35 

F.G.,Y,4i 

H.A.,n8 

McC,  283 

N.,394 

P., 47 

Vill.,6n 

VonS.,  87 

W.,332 


10 

A    book  *    of  verses  underneath  the 

vine, 
A  loaf  of  bread,  a  jug  of  ruby  wine, 
And   thou   beside  me,    resting  in  the 

wild, 
Would  make   the   dreary  wilderness 
divine ! t 

16 
See,   morning  dawns;    the  rosy  cup 

retain, 
And    smash    the    crystal     of    repute 

again ; 
Thy  lute  is  sweet,  thy  tresses  soft  as 

down,  — 
Ah,  Heav'n  is  here,  and  future  glory 
vain.:: 


B,G,  H 


B,F,G.  II 


*    w>a^'  a  dnvan,  is  a  collection  of  stanzas  arranged  in  alphabetical  order,  the 
position  of  each  being  determined  by  the  final  letter  of  its  rhyme-word. 

Lit.,  Is  pleasanter  than  the  realm  of  a  sultan. 


*  The  lines 


signify  : 


iG 


;*&$  4,  VjU&  ^>— « 


r*j 


^u^.  ^y*  *j\^  v)->-» 


Let  us  renounce  our  hopes  of  Paradise. 

And  tov  with  long,  curling  tresses  and  the  fringe  of  the  lute. 
[37] 


K  I  BA'l  VAT    OF    OMAR    KHA1  Y  A  M 


Cad.,  13 

II    \  .  .7 
Mil .. 
W    .  1  1  a 
<  lompai  e 
I   G..  V,  ai 


( lad 

I   G.,V,8 

1.  1- 
M  \  .'.7' 
McC,  i48 

\  ill. .  a36 and 

VonS.,  '"I 

W....i'( 


■7 
Sweet   1-  the  breeze  thai  gently  fans 

the  n  >se ; 
Sweet,    in   the   shade,    h>   watch    lli\ 

Face   rej  m  >se  : 
( )h .   1  el  I   1  ue   110I    1  hiii    yesterday    w  ;is 

Bweel  ! 
|o-dii\  i<  Bweel  I       I  <  >-iiimit<  >w  — -ah, 

w  In »    k  now  v  P 

18 
\\  heller  al   Balkh  or  Babylon,      we 


\.  B,C,  i). 

1    1    11 


die  ;   • 

(  )t  s\*  eel  1  >r  bitter,  so<  m  the 

cup  runs 

<lr\  : 

Come  drink,    m\    l«>\  e,    foi 

ni;in\     ii 

-il \  er  moon 

\\  ill  w ;i\  again  and   w ane, 

w  bere'er 

we  he. 

\.  B.C.  I>. 

1:.  1  •'.  <;.  11 


"To-morrow  ah,  \\li«>  knows?"  is  an  interpolation  of  the  translator,  which 
he  believes  other  passages  will  justify.     Vide  quatrains  ia  and  126,  Ouselej  Mv 

The  besl  translation  of  this  quatrain  thai  has  yet  been  made  is  probably  the 
follow  'win,  which  was  written  !"i  the  Omar  Khayyam  Club  "I  America  by  Mr. 
n    II.  Dole: 

••The  breath  of  the  early  spring  in  the  face  of  the  Rose  is  sw 
I  be  fai  e  of  my  Love  in  the  shade  "I  the  garden-close  is  sweel 
Naught  thou  cansl  say  of  the  day  thai  has  faded  away  is  sweel 
Be  bappj  ;  speak  nol  of  the  past,  for  to  day  as  it  glows  is  sweel  I  " 

18 
•    Nicolas   and   vVhin  field   read   Nishapur,    and    the  Ouseley    MS.,    Baghdad. 
Babylon  is  here  substituted  for  the  sake  of  euphony,  and  because  .1  is  often  used 
nony  in  foi  Baghdad  in  Oi  iental  poeti  j , 
t  The  Ouseley    MS    >•  idi  ^ j  »   c r^  -W-  e>->r?  "sinea  life  passes";  bul 

I  3fi  1 


RUBA'IYAT    OF    OMAR    KHAYYAM 


Cad.,  55 
H.A.,52 

McC.,  212 

N . ,  112 

Vill.,357 


Bod.,  IX,  49 
Cad.,  i(> 
Gar.,YIII,6 
HA, 27 
McC., 67 
N.,48 
P., 11 
VM.,196 
VonS.,  i3o 
W.,5i 


And  love's  bright  patli  is  but  the  road 

to  naught,* 
Where   Fates   rude   talons   have   de- 


struction wrought; 


Oh  lovely  saki,i  water  ere  I  die, 
And  this  poor  dust  again  to  dust  be 
brought! 


20 


I    lay    upon   my  couch    in 

slumber 

deep ,  * 

And    Wisdom 

cried    aloud, 

"Oh, 

wherefore 

sleep  ? 

For    sleep    is 

kin    to   death 

;     drink 

while  you 

may; 

Eternal    slumber    hastens     o'er     the 

steep !  " 

A,  B,  F,  G 


A,  B,  C,D, 
E,F,G,H 


Whinfield's  text  has  a  more  beautiful  phrase, 
comes  to  the  lips." 


^.T^-Jo.  oL>  vr>    "Since  the  soul 


*9 

*  The  spiritual  meaning  of  the  first  two  lines  is,  that  the  path  of  divine  love 
leads  to  the  annihilation  of  the  individual  soul  ;  that  we  shall  be  destroyed  in  the 
talons  of  doom  (  J>|  ),  when  the  existence  of  the  individual  is  merged  in  the 
divine  fountain  of  universal  life.      Vide  Introduction. 

f  Saki,  cup-bearer. 


*  The  second  line,  Avhich  is  omitted  in  the  translation,  is  literally :  — 
"Never  from  sleep  has  the  rose  of  jov  bloomed  for  anv  one." 
[39] 


H  I    B  \  n  A  T    ()  F    OMA  K     k\\\\\    \  M 


Bod.,  V,  i         Ere   ye\   the  da\i  d  of    tzal     shed  its 
lighi 

i ,  ,    \  ii   ,      ( )  it  drean  cha< >s  and  the  realms  «>l 

11   \  .  ..  night, 

M  l 

\  .ii 

Vill.,  [Ql 


V,8 

I  G  .  \   -  - 
Gai  .  \  11,3 

II  \ ..',. 

\l  ■  i 

VIU..79 


I   G.,V,i< 

N  .  ii6 
Vill 


The  I Vn.  iimih »\ ed  by  l:< n "I  and  evil, 

W  !'<»lr  : 

\or  grief  can  change,  nor  endless  toil 


rew  rite 


a2 


\.  B,<  .  I\ 
I  .  I  .(..  II 


\ik1    r\  i\    sorrow,   all   our    passing       \  r..ci> 


i    i  .«..  ii 

W.doesnol 
give  B 


inn  ill. 

\\;i-  Long  predestined,  ere  creation's 
birth; 

Bui  blame  n<>l  I l<;i\  n,  for  all  is  fore- 
ordained . 

\  M  ( J    lle;i\'n     more    helpless    lliiin     llic 

helpless  earth. 
23 
Ml  fearless,  then,  \\  bile  mortal  frame       \.  C,  D,  i 
shall  be, 

Stand      linn      w  il  Inn     the     bounds     <>f 

(le^hn\  : 


1  .<-.  II 


\  /mil.-  "eternitj  with. mi  beginning.*'     Whinfield  ind  Nicolas, 

however,  read     .  Jj    ,:|     Indartakdir)  **  in  destiny,"  foi    ^  •'• -'    Dar  rui      \ 
•  •  ..n  the  da\  of  eternitj  without  beginning,"  sa  ippean  in  the  Ouselej  Mv. 

The  opposite  "I    taal  I  J^l  I  ii    ibad        i   .  whi<  Ii  signifies   "eternitj    without 
end." 

I  4o  | 


RUBA'IYAT    OF    OMAR    KHAYYAM 


Yield  naught  to  foe,  though  Rustam, 

son  of  Zal,* 

Nor  take  from  friend,  though  Hatim 

Tai  f  were  he. 

ik 

Cad. 

Gar. 
11.  A 

(  ](lll! 

F.G. 

,89 
VII.5 

,54 
iare 
,V,7i 

For  Avhat  is   written,    he  it   long   or 
brief, 

Remains  the  same,  nor  tears  can  give 
relief; 

No  drop  of  destiny  is  less  nor  more, 

Though  naught  you   know  but  life- 
long pain  and  grief. 

25 

B 

Bod. 
Cad. 
F.G. 
Gar. 
H.A 

,YII,4 
3o 

,V,i3 
XII,  5 
,4o 

I  know  not  what  the  Lord  hath  made 

my  share, 
The  joy  of  Heav'n  —  the  Hell  of  deep 

despair ;  * 

A,B,C.D 
F.G,  II 

23 

*  Zal,  a  hero  who  lived  in  the  reign  of  Kai  Kawus. 

Rustam,  a  mighty  warrior  who,  with  his  famous  horse,  Rukhsh,  rescued  Kai 
Kawus  from  a  fortress-prison  guarded  by  a  hundred  demons.  The  exploits  of  Zal 
and  Rustam  are  sung  by  Firdusi  in  his  great  historical  poem,  the  Shah  Namah. 

f  Hatim  Tai,  a  generous  Arab  prince. 


25 

Nicolas  reads  ^r*  ^-^  V  -V  (bud  ahl  bihisht  khub)  instead  of 
"=-%>'  jl  (az  ahl  bihisht  guft)  as  appears  in  the  Ouseley  MS.,  and  this 
changes  the  meaning  from  "I  know  not  whether  He  who  moulded  me,  destined 
me  to  dwell  in  Heaven  or  horrible  Hell,"  to  "  I  know  not  whether  He  who 
moulded  me  was  a  dweller  in  Heaven  or  horrible  Hell." 

[4i] 


R  I    li  \  n    \  T    OF    OMA  li    KHAY^    \  M 


M«  i   . 3i  j        Hut    w  ine    and    beaut)    fill    me  r  itli 

i  i  ■   i  i 
n  delight, 

\iii  . 8 1  \n<i   Earth   .s  here,   and   Paradise  la 

VonS 

W    . 


!•» 


\\  Mi'lT 


26 


Bod.,IV,i        Xhe  gecrei  \  bidden  from  the  mortal       i.B.C.D, 


.  1 4 

11   \    ,, 
Md      "i 
N  .  '.  ', 
Vill.,60 
VonS.,  ii" 
\\.')7 


Cad.,  15 

II.  \  .  [8 

\ill 

W    .mi 


Nor  living  soul  can  read  the  mysten  ; 
S,i\ c  mi   the  bearl  <>l  earth,  \\ e  bai e 
no  rest  : 

So  till  the  l><>\\  1.    I  \\  ill   soon   he  time 


In  die 


27 


I  low  long  shall  I  I  Inow    bricks   upon 

the  sea? ' 
I  scorn  such  tricks  of  vain  idolatn  I 
Sa>  nol    Khayyam   is  surel)   doomed 

to  Hell. 
\\  Ik»  know  s  of  ]  It'll,  or  I  [eav  a,  or  if 

the)  b 


1..  1  ,<.,n 


\.  B  <:.D. 
1  .1    11 


•   This  line  is  a  paraphrase  for  "These  are  cash  to  me ;   let  thine  be  the  credit, 


Hea 


a6 


Ut.  I  'link  wine,  for  bu<  h  fables  are  oot  short. 


•  i.e    "How  long  shaU  I  perform  empty  ceremonies  ?M     H.A. 

t  Heron-Allen  reads:    <- -*  i   ■"  *«j    ,4Who  evei    went  to  Hell,  and 

w ho  ever  1  ame  ii om  Heai • 

WhinBeld,     however,    readi      •— {,■  u  ,x\  d  1  £*fc  ^  *s    "One    while    in 
Heaven,  and  one  in   Mill  is  he 

I  M  I 


RUBA'IYAT    OF    OMAR    KHAYYA'M 


Bod.,  IV,  8 
F.G.,V,56 

McG.,276 

N.,i65 

Vill.,295 

Von  S.,  270 
\Y.,i83 


Cad.,  1 1 4 
HA,  102 
H.P.,11 

McC.,85 

N.,2$2 
Vill.,493 

\  on  S.,  io5 
W.,282 


Bod.,  IV,  9 
Cad.,  65 
HA, 72 
McC,  266 


28 
And  oh,  how  long  engrossed  in  self 

remain  ? 
How  long  o'er  futile  problems*  strive 

in  vain  P 
The  path  of  life  but  leads  thee  to  the 

grave ; 
So  drink  and  dream,  and  dream  and 

drink  again. 

29 
And  when  thou  hast  some  ruby  wine, 

rejoice  ; 
Or   canst   in   beauty's   arms   recline, 

rejoice; 
Since  all  that  is,   must  surely  end  in 

naught, 
Think  thou  art  naught  while  life  is 

thine,  rejoice. 

3o 
No  mind  has  solved  the  tangled  mys- 
tery, 
Nor  passed  the  orbit  *  of  eternity ;  f 


28 


A,C,D,E, 
F.G.H 


A.B,C,D, 
E,F,G,H 


A.C.D,E, 
F,G,H 


*  The  problems  of  existence  and  non-existence. 

3o 

*  tjAs  (dairah)  =  orbit. 

Whinfield  reads   ty    (nihad)  nature,  meaning  that  no  one  has  set  foot  beyond 
the  bounds  of  his  own  nature. 

f  Inline    Ai&  \^\  j\^\  Jiu-  jJ ,  note  the  accusative  termination   \>    affixed  to 
the  genitive  case  of  the  word    \)}\    (azal-ra). 

[43  1 


R  I    I;  \  \\   \  T    0  F    O  M  AH    KHAY1   \  M 


N . ,  1 7  5 

The   teache 

•  and 

the 

tyro   both   are 

VonS 

I.I. M.I. 

W  ..  190 

\nd  grope 
lessly. 

amid 

the 

darkness  belp- 

.)  I 


;  X  I  '.lit  though   \  1  »n   reach    xristo's   lofl  \        < ..  11 


\ii.; 
\i  1    ,3ag 

Vill.,  - 
w  .  165 


plane.  ' 

Or  0  er  imperial   Rome,  Like  ( Saesar, 
reign, 

I  )iani  ,lainsh\  (I  s  CUp,   \  1  >ur  end  musl 

be  the  grai  e 
Though  Bahrain's  self ;  dus(  turns  to 
dusl  again. 

3a 

Bod.,X,ag        Tis  dawn,  oh   friend  <>l   joyful   foot, 


1,35 
M  C  ,3i5 
N.,455 
ViU.,-3 
VonS.,  a46 
w  ,484 


draw    nigh  : 

Kill  high  the  l><>\\  I.  salute  l he  n »s^y 
sky. 

From  I  \  r  to  I  )ai  '  the  months  re- 
morseless roll 

\ikI  drag  t<»  death  e  en  might}  Jam  | 

and    Kai.  : 


G.H 


*    In  the  text,  Jamhur  is  coupled  with   Iristo  bs  an  example  of  wisdom  ;  and 
Faghfur,  emperor  of  China,  with  Caesar,  as  an  example  oi  pow(  1 

1     mpare  Firdusi's  line,  o*-^  ,>ii~i  *■'  r «''.-— '   ,-^-«  «j.  in  which   Faghfur  and 
1        ir  are  similarlj  C(  »upl<  d 

3a 

I  pom  Tyi  to  Dai       From  ^pril  to  I  »••■  emh  1 . 
f  Jam,  or  Jamshyd,  said  to  have  been  the  rounder  of  Peraepolia. 
;    K  ...  ...  Kai  Khoaru,  p  nerallj  identified  with  Cyrus. 

I  14  1 


RUBAIYAT    OF    OMAR    KHAYYAM 


Bod.,IX,57 

McG.,i/»9 

N.,68 

Vill.,201 

W.,71 


Bod. , VIII,  5o 

McG.,377 

N.,334 

Vill.,666 

VonS.,  124 

Compare 

W.,2-78 


Bod.,  IX,  62 
Gad.,  26 
F.G.,V,74 

Gar., XIII,  12 
H.A.,26 

McG.,180 

N.,85 
Vill.,188 
VonS.,  207 

W.,87 


33 
When  flow'rs  of  joy  with  sparkling 

petals  shine, 
Why  shun   the  crystal  cup   of  ruby 

wine  ? 
Time  knows  no  mercy,*  drink,   ere 

yet  too  late  ; 
A  day  like  this  may  ne'er  again  be 

thine. 

34 

And  why  lament  what  cannot  come 

again  ? 
Why  think  of  morroAv,    when   such 

thoughts   are  vain  ? 
Seize  fast  to-day,  ere  all  its  joys  go  by 
As  summer  breezes  vanish  o'er  the 

plain. 

35 
Soon  shall  you  bid  farewell  to  mortal 

tie  ; 
Soon    shall    you    read   life's    deepest 

mystery. 
Drink,  for  you  knoAV  not  when  you 

.go,  nor  where  ; 
Drink,  for  you  know  not  whence  you 

came,  nor  why.* 


*  Lit.  Time  is  a  treacherous  foe. 


33 


35 


A,C,D,E, 
F,G,H 


A.B.C.D, 
F,G,H 


*  I  am  indebted   for  the  last  two  lines  to  Mr.  FitzGerald,  who  has  combined 
this  quatrain  with  No.  i52  of  the  Ouselev  MS. 

[45  I 


K  UBA'IYAT    0  F    0  M  V  \\    k  II  A  \  \  AM 


36 

Bod.,V,i8 

When,  like  a  hawk,  to  dizzy  heights 

\ 

CD,  i-:. 

G       \  1 1 .  i 

1   ><>;ir. 

V. 

<,.n 

M  I    ,4o 

\ik1    fain    would    read   ;m<l    con    the 

1 
VonS  .  i  13 

lll\  ^1    I'lt'S    «>   IT. 

\<»  -ukIc  1  find  and  back   to  Earth  1 

w.. 

fall, 

\nJ  leave  and  enter  l»\  the  self-same 
door. 

■ '.  > 

\n<l  oft,  \n  1  i ( ' r i  young,  from  teachers 

B 

i .  ii 

I  ■•.(!..  \        - 

Gai    \ii.  i.; 

II  \     .    1    M 

1  designed 

To  lill    Willi   wisdom's  lore  tn\    \oiilli- 

\ill..  584 
\      -  .  [83 

w  . 

lul    II  )i  lid  . 

Bui    lo,    the    end    of  all    their   Loft) 

themes  :  — 
We  came  like  water*  and  deparl  like 

w  ind. 

38 

II   \  .:.7 
Mel      h'j 
V.  J5o 

1  ii  w  tiling,  helpless,  Inn  ricd  through 
life  a  do( >r. 

\ 
I 

B,<  .1) 

1  .(..  II 

Vill., 

\  ml .    helpless,    w  hither,    w  hen    the 

dream  is  o  er  ? 

Whinfield   reads    ..»\^    \\  (ai    khak),   from  earth,   instead   of      .f   ^  ,  .-> 
bun  ab),  like  water,  aa  appears  in  the  <  hiselej  MS. 

I  W  1 


RUBA'IYAT    OF    OMAR    KHAYYAM 


Bod.,  V,  43 
McC.,54 

IN.,  25 
Yill.,98 
Yon  S.,28 
W.,29 


Bod.,  V,  32 
F.G.,V,44 
Gar., XIII,  11 
H.A.,i45 
McG.,459 
N.,394    ' 
ViU.,759 
Von  S.,  10 

W.,436 


Ah,   better  far  to  Earth  I  ne'er  had 

come 
Than  come,  live,   go,  — and  taste  of 

life  no  more  !  * 

Then  oh,  my  soul,  why  on  this  dust 

bestow 
The  wretched  boon  of  life,  the  pain, 

the  woe 
And    all    the    passions    that    possess 

mankind, 
To  leave  it  dust  again  whene'er  you 

go? 

4o 

This  spirit,  freed  from  mortal  bonds, 

could  soar 
Back  through  the  realms  of  space  to 

Heaven's  door  ; 
Its  proper  home  lies  o'er  the  azure 

sky, 
And  shame  it  was  to  touch  this  earthly 

shore. 


a.cd.e, 

F,G,H 


A.B,C,D, 
F,G,H 


38 
Compare  Milton,  Paradise  Lost,  Book  XI,  lines  5o2-5o7 
"  Better  end  here  unborn.      Why  is  life  given 
To  be  wrested  from  us?     Rather  why 
Obtruded  on  us  thus?     Y\  ho.  if  we  knew 
What  we  receive,  would  either  not  accept 
Life  offer'd,  or  soon  beg  to  lay  it  down, 
Glad  to  be  so  dismissed  in  peace?  " 

r  4-7 1 


H  I  B  VI  VAT    OF    OMA  R    KHAY^   \  \1 


B        l    I] 

j  - 
I   i,    \   6< 

M   \  .  .:. 

vai 

VonS 

W    .  i  i  i 


B    I  .III.  10 

I  G  .  \ 

\.- 

II  \  . 

\!    C 

N 

Vill.,  e95 

\ 

W.,92 


l  i 
\\  ben   life   first   da*  ned      high   o'er        B,  i  .  n 

this  mortal  cell, 
Long  sought  in \  b<  »iil  w  here  I  *en  and 
Tablet  |  dwell, 

lii    Mill  and   I [eai  n .  and  heard 
the  Master  say  — 
Behold,  n\  iiliin  thyself,  the  heav'n 
and  hell  I  "J 

ia 

I  lc;i\  n  is  the  tranquil  joj  ofinward  rest, 

\.,.l  Hell,  the  anguish  of  a  bou!  dis-       E.F.G.'h 

tress'd  ; 
I  he  azure  sk \  is  but  the  robe  w  e  w  ear, 
\ikI    Jihun's       flood,    the    tears    <>l" 

hearts  i oppress  <l . 


•    ^^*v._,,,    ruz-i-nukhust)  is  literallj  "on  the  da)  of  the  beginning." 
f    ^fr~-  s  J*    (bartar  '/  sipihr)       higher  than  the  sphere, 
t  K^  '  Cv  ''"''  "  *;|l;m"  ■''"'  the  pen  and  the  tablet  with  which  the  deci 
I  laid  to  have  been  \n  ritten. 

I    •     I  ,|.|.-i  and  pen  and  heaven  and  hell  are  within  thee. 
Compare  Mm-  following  lines  of  Rumi:  — 

"The  sev'nth  earth  I  trav<  rs'd      the  sev'nth  heav'n  explor'd, 
But  in  aeither  discern'd  I  the  Court  of  the  Lord  I 
I  questioned  the  Pen  and  the  Tablet  ol  I  ate, 
Bui  thej  whispered  not  where  He  pavilions  His  state; 
\l\  vision  I  strain'd,  but  r 1 1 x  God-scanning  eve 
\     tra<  e,  thai  to  Godhead  belongs,  could  de*<  i  j 
\]\  glance  I  bent  inward,  within  on  own  breast, 
I      the  vainlj  sought  elsewhere!    the  Godhead  i  onfess'dl  " 
Translation  b)  Pro!    I     I  alconer  in  the   Sialic  Journal,  quoted  bj  Mr.  Dun- 
I    irbei 


la 


.1,1,...,.  (I..-  River  Oxus. 


RUBA'IYAT    OF    OMAR    KHAYYAM 


43 

Bod.,  VIII,  5 

And  Earth  is  but  a  caravanserai, 

A,C,D,E, 

F.G.,V,i7 

Gar.,V,  3 

McC.,i4o 

N.,67 

Vill.,199 

Von  S.,  48 

W.,70 

A  resting  place  of  fleeting  night  and 

day. 
The  remnant  of  a  feast,  where  Jam- 

shyd  sate, 
The  tomb*  of  many  a  Bahrain  passed 

away. 

F,G,H 

Cad.,  37 
F.G.,V,3o 
H.A.,21 
Vill.,94 

Thrust    into    life    without     my    own 
consent, 

A,B,C,D, 
E,F,H 

Thrust     hack     to    death,    with    Avho 

VonS.,i46 

knows  what  intent  ? 

W.,  no 

Arise,   bright  saki,  till  the  cup  with 
Avine 

And  drown  the  burden  of  my  dis- 
content. 

Bod.,I,i3 
Gar.,  VIII,  1 4 
McC.,70 
N.,5o 

45 

And  on  that  day  when  Heav'n  is  rent 

in  twain. 
And    stars    grow    dim,    and    shining 

A,C,D,E, 
F,G,H 

Vill.,68 

VonS.,i35 
W.,53 

planets  wane, 

I  '11  seize  the  Master  by  the  robe  and 

cry:  — 

"Why  cast  us  thus  from  life  to  death 

again  ?  " 

• 

43 

*  Whinfield  reads  _,J>  (gur),  the  tomb,  while  the  Calcutta  MS.  reads 
(kasr),  the  palace.  I  have  followed  Mr.  Whinfield's  reading:  because  the  use  of 
the  word  gur,  which  was  also  Bahrain's  surname,  is  a  play  upon  words  after 
Omar's  own  heart. 

4  [  4o  1 


R  UBA'IYAT    OF    O  M  A  II     KHAYYA'M 


16 
Bod.,^  Ah.  would  this  earth  did  yield  a  place        \.<  ,D,E, 


I  G  .\..)T 
Gar.,  II, -j 
M  I    .  ■  '.•» 
N  ,4oo 
Vill  . 

\    nS.,170 
W    .ir 


of  resl 
1 < 1  pilgrims   bj    I  he   I'  »ng .  I»  >ng  road 

oppress  d, 
\\  hence,  after  m;in\  a  year,  we  nmrlit 


Bod  ,l\     < 

I    ( ,     \ 
\l  I 

N.49 

\,ll.:: 
VonS.,a3 


UlK'W  . 

Then,  know  Ing  death .    1  w  ould  know 

God  >  secrel  i< »< > : 
II',   Living,   you    know    naught .    w  hal 

will  you  know 
\\  hen  death  has  comic  and  \  ou  re  no 

longer  son.'1 


<>.ii 


F.G.H 


return . 

\s  1  iiiiii|)lc(l  llnw  rs  return  from   Va 
ture  a  ItrtM^i  I 

17 
Bod  ,11,10       Mm  call  the  Koran    •  Fount  of  Sacred        \.r..iu  . 

Cad.,3  1 

Lore, 
11  \  ,6  '*The  Word   Supreme,     and,   hasty, 

McC     ''  glance  it  o'er  ; 

v ,  1 1 

VUl.  ao  '>>N'     <>M     ''"'    goblet  S    1 1  hi    ii     text    is 

VonS.,  .',.  NNM|  ' 

That  ;ill  shall  lend  ;iikI   ponder  <\ er- 
more. 

48 
\inl    if  your   heart   life's  secret  onlv 


\.i  ,i>.i 
<..  11 


•    tMM  \  (ay  at)  1 1  lis   up  hi  either 
measui m^'.  01   '  \ •  1  -'•  from  tip    R   1 


,,rk.   bui  Ii   19  was  used  -11   1   ffoblel   fi 


I  5o 


RUBA'IYAT    OF    OMAR    KHAYYAM 


49 

Bod,  VIII,  9 

But  earth  shall  roll,  as  long  it  rolled 

G,H 

F.G.,V,47 

before 

Gar.,  XIII,  8 

McC.,210 

Our  names  were  lost,  our  footprints 

N.,ia3 

all  groAvn  o'er  ; 

P.,  23 

Vill.,395 

'T  was  long  completed  ere  we  touched 

VonS.,  296 

its  soil, 

\Y.,i5o 

And  when  we're  gone  'twill  be  no 
less  nor  more. 

5o 

Bod.,  VIII,  1 3 

Khayyam,    although   this   canopy   of 

G,H 

F.G.,V,/»6 

blue 

Gar.,  VIII,  5 

McC.,235 

Veils    all    the    myst'ries    from     your 

N.,i37 

mortal  view, 

Vill.,397 

Know    this,  th'  eternal  saki  oft  hath 

Von  S.,  290 

W.,161 

seen 
In  life's  deep  cup  a  myriad  things  * 
like  you. 

5i 

F.G.,V,7o 

Naught  speaks  the  ball,  but  right  or 

A.C,D,E 

II.  P.,  25 

Vill.,682 

left  it  goes, 

F,H 

Von  S.,  116 

As   Fate's   relentless   mallet      strikes 

W.,4oi 

the   blows  ; 

v__,  V^;^    (hubab)  is,  literally,  a  bubble. 


5i 
*  e.L5^>  (cbugan)  is  the  mallet  used  in  the  game  of  chugan,  or  polo. 

[5,] 


U  I   B  VI  Y  \  T    0  T    OMAR    KHAYYA'M 


Bod., I,  i  i 
I   G..V.34 

\  I .  "• 
\I  I 
« 


w 


But  1 1<-  w  bo  toss'd  thee  to  the  game's 

in, id  rush  | 
lie  knows  the  reason,  aye,  He  knows, 

He  knows  —  !  I 

5  a 
\ 1 1 < i    Thou    whom   all    creal ion    fain        G,H 

would  find, 
The    w  ;i ters    -| >eak     I  h \    name,    the 

w  bisp  ring  wind  : 
I  nil   all  are  deal  ;     I  li\    face    is  r\  er 

near, 
Bui    none  alas,  can   see,  for  all  are 

blind  I 


53 

Bod.,V,ig       Like  helpless  chessmen  on  the  check-        B,F,G,H 

,|S  i  i  i     i 

.  ered  blocks, 

I   ( .  .  \ ,6g 

Mil 

II  \ 

N 
Vill     i 

VonS  .  iii 


\\  e  re    hither,    thither     moved,    till 

Heaven  knocks 
The  Luckless  pieces  from  the  crowded 

board, 
Ami  one  l»\  one  returns  them  to  the 

box. 


I    »•   -,  u&j  (tag  ii  |'u  i  i>  the  racing  and  searching  after  the  ball. 

The  Calcutta  MS    reads    ,^  ■,  JL    tag  u  du),  the  racing  and  galloping 

J  The  last  line  li<~  a  weird  sound,  ool  unlike  the  notes  ol  the  m I  pigi 

nightfall,  thus:  — 

I  danad,  U  danad,  I  danad,  I  I  breaking  off  suddenly  upon  the  p  i 
pronoun  I  . 

(He  knows,  He  knows,  He  knows,  He 

I  •'•<  I 


RUBA'IYAT    OF    OMAR    KHAYYAM 


54 

Vill.,i37 

And  oh,  what  hearts  the  cruel  Wheel 

F,H 

W.,ia3 

hath  crushed  ! 
How  many  a  flower  the  hand  of  steel 

hath  crushed  ! 
Nor  youth,  my   son,  nor  heauty  can 

avail  — 
Full  many   a  hud  the  ruthless  heel 

hath  crushed. 

Bod.,  VI,  4 

55 
And  now  the  page  of  life  is  sear  and 

A,C,D,F, 

F.G.,V,q6 
Gar.,  IV,  4 

McG.,223 

rent, 
The  blossoms  fade  and  fall,  the  spring 

G,H 

N.,  128 

P.,  25 

Vill.,334 

is  spent  ; 
Ah,  lovely  bird  of  youth,  so  quickly 

Von  S.,62 
W.,i55 

gone, 
I  marked   not  when  you   came  nor 
when  you  went. 

56 

Cad.,  3g 

So  fill  the  bowl,   swift  passes  life's 

A,B,C,D 

F.G.,V,  24 

and  63 
H.A.,35 

brief  day, 
And  oli  !    th'    eternal   bed   of  chilly 

E,H 

\  ill  ,  i84 

clay  !  * 

56 
*  Lit.  "Drink  wine,  for  thou  wilt  sleep  long  beneath  the  clay."  J5  ,  hoAV- 
ever,  may  be  read  gil  or  gul,  and  hence  may  signify  either  clay  or  roses,  the 
meaning  being  dependent  upon  the  accent.  V\  "hinfield's  text  and  Heron-Allen's 
transcript  of  the  Ouseley  MS.  have  the  accent  Kasra,  and  thus  make  it  clay. 
The  Ouseley  MS.  itself,  hoAvever,  has  no  accent ;  while  the  Calcutta  MS.  has  the 
accent  Zamma,  which  would  make  it  r-oses. 

[53] 


R  I    B  1'IYAT    OF    OMAR    KHAYYAM 


u     '":  No    friend,    no    song,    no    a  ine,    no 

Comi  I  ,    . 

,  iu\  e, 

VonS.,  <  i  5 

and  I  be   Il<>\\  'r  that   dies   is  <-\  er  passed 

aw  a\  . 


i  i .  .  \ .  it;       Yea,  grasp  the  cup,4  for  all   we  love 
)'"  and  own, 

i  \  er  \\  Inch  the  tendrils  of  our  hearts 

have  grown, 
Melt   Bwifl  as  morning  dews  beneath 
the  sun. 

Shim-  one  brief  hour,  and  then,  alas, 

arc  gone  ! 

58 
i;,„i  \  111  - .,    And  though  the  cup  be  lull  and  sweet, 


\mu: 
i    ii 


M  '    .  I61 

Vill.,715 

\ 

w  .  i  1 5 


wluil  tl 


icii 


The  last  brief  day  of  life  must  conic 

w  hat  then  ? 
Uthough   you  've  lived    an    hundred 

years  of  jo) . 
( )r  ha\  e  an   hundred    \ ears  to   live, 

w  hal   then  ? 


\.<  .IU 

I  .<,.!! 


+   Lit.  •'Without   a   familiar  and   without  a  companion  and  without-a  friend 

if    M  ll«-." 


I  njoj  the  g I  things  of  life. 

There  are   leveral    variations  ol    this   quatrain       FitxGerald    translate!   from 


RUBA'IYAT    OF    OMAR    KHAYYAM 


Bod., IV,  i4 
Cad.,  101 
F.G.,V,64 
Gar.,  VIII,  7 
McC.,160 

N.,2I7 

vni.,462 

W.,258 


Bod.,  VIII,  6 
Cad.,  21 
F.G.,V,i8 
Gar.,  V,  2 
McC.,i5i 
N.,69 
Vill.,2o5 
Von  S.,  199 
W.,-72 


Bod.,  VIII,  60 

F.G.,II,2o 

Gar.,V,4 

McC.,364 

N.,35o 


59 

And  think,  from  all  the  myriads  gone 
before, 

Not  one  returns  to  'count  the  journey 
o'er  ; 

So  yield  up  naught  for  hope  of  prom- 
ised bliss  ; 

Departed  once,  thou  shalt  return  no 
more. 

60 

In  yonder  mansion  of  the  mighty 
dead, 

Where  Bahram  feasted,  prowling 
lions  tread, 

And  where  his  cunning  lasso  caught 
the  gur,* 

Behold,  the  gur  has  closed  o'er  Bah- 
ram' s  head. 

61 

And  yonder  palace  towring  to  the 
blue, 

Where  kings,  in  homage,  to  the  por- 
tals drew, 


A,C,D.E, 
F,G,H 


A,C.D.E. 
F,G,H 


A,C,D.E, 
F,G,H 


60 
*   Gur  signifies  either  the  wild  ass  or  the  grave.      Bahram  met  his  death  in  a 
quicksand  while  chasing  the  gur. 

Note  the  alliteration  in  this  quatrain  ;   the  similar  sounds  of  gaf  and  kaf  occur- 
ring thirteen  times  in  the  four  lines. 

[55  1 


15  i    r>  \  n    \  T    0  F    O  \l   \  II     KHAYYA  \I 


Vill 

'- 

1  beard  the 

Lonel)   nn_; 

dove  moaning 

\  "1 

: 

there, 

w. 

bid  Bobbin 

g  Bofll  herpl 

,<iii 

ive 

( loo, 

C(  ii ) .  coo  ? 

6a 

Bod.,VHl,33     \n.|  once,  al  Tus,     I 


nun   «>ll    :iii  age 


Ked  \.(.l    ... 


M   i 

Vill 

w   . 


(  1 1 1  g  ll 


Gai  .  \.  i 

\|.  < 

Methoughl  ;i  raven  lil  up< >n  the  br< >\\ 

N,ll'l»'         Of    Kliosru's     Bkull,t    and    thus     H 

\      5     i  ii»  ii- 

w     ,--  spake,   "  Oh,  lung, 

\\  hiit   clarion    hails   ih\    royal   glorj 


lli>\\    . 


• " 


63 


tere  \  ou  ;m< 


\\  ide  n ; i  w  us  the  tomb  w\ 

I.  sweei  friend, 
Sh;ill  each,   in  turn,  t<>  Lifeless  dusl 

descend  ! 
Oh  draught   of  death   that  steeps  the 

vers  soul 
In    dreamless  Bleep,    unconscious   l<> 


I        \  <:.i>.  i: 
i  ■'.<;, ii 


tl 


ir   ru< 


K,,.  ku,  ku       W  )....'   Where?   W  h«  re? 
J  iku  i  is  ao  abbre>  iatioo  "I    U„-o   I  kuja 


I  m  «.-,-  the  mediaeval  i  apital  ol  Khorasan. 

1    i  the  sake  ol  ter,  Khosru  is  substituted  l"i  Kai  Kawus      Ii  i-  i 

able  ii    '  Mi     I    II    McCarth)  has  done  the  same  thing  in  inslation. 

.  < ,   mi/  i    Ii  .in  ii  ,  the  I  '.I*  "I  Reckoning. 
16  | 


RUBA'IYAT    OF    OMAR    KHAYYAM 


64 

Bod.,  II,  8 
Cad.,i3 
Gar.,VIII,8 
H.A.,23 

Khayyam,  why  drown  thyself  in  sor- 
row here  ? 
What    though    thy    sins   like    ocean 

A,B,C,D, 
F,G,H 

McC.,18 

N.,43 

Vill.,8i 

sands  appear  P 
Mercy  can  reach  thee,  though  it  pass 

Von  S.,94 

the  pure  ; 

W.,46 

'T  is  made  for  sinners,  wherefore  dost 
thou  fear  ? 

65 

Bod. ,11, 12 
Cad.,  91 
H.A.,91 

McC.,323 

Go  toss  commandment  *  to  the  pass- 
ing wind, 
Nor    with    tradition  f  keep    thy  soul 

A,B,C,D, 
E,F,G,H 

N.,  200 

confined  ; 

Mil. ,433 
W.,244 

Pay  hate  with  love,  enjoy  the  ruddy 

wine, 
Nor  fear  the  grave,  nor  what  there  is 

behind. 

66 

Bod.,  VI,  5 
Cad.,  61 

Ere  Fate  lay  low  thy  head,  the  goblet 
drain, 

A,B,C,D, 
E,F,G,H 

F.G.,  V,  i5 
Gar.,  1,  27 

Bring  forth  the  rosy  cup  and  staunch 

11.  A.,  68 

thy  pain  ;  — 

*  The  Farizat  are  the  divine  ordinances. 

f  The  Sunnat,  or  Traditions,  are  held  in  great  reverence  by  Muhammadans, 

Y\  hinfield  reads,  1  •  ^  t  ,  *  — 

"Heed  not  the  Sunnat,  nor  the  law  divine,"  which  is  nearly  identical  with 
the  Ouseley  MS. 

ISicolas  reads,  1.  4    :*"        *>  •    1  „  •  i 

"Des  dogmes  de  la  religion  n'admets  que  ce  qui  t'oblige  envers  la  Divinite." 


R  I   BA'IYA  T    OF    OMAR     KHAYYA  M 


n  . [56    ' 


( )h.  heedless  fool,  arl  thou  a  golden 
Blore 


\,n.. 

w  Thai     men    will    bun    a  ml    dig    u 

again? 

67 

( lad  .  1  1 3  Drink,  if  thou    wilt,  or  fail  to  watch         \ .  r..< :.  i>. 

1    1  .<..ii 


11   \ 

N 

Vill.,1 

w  . 


( Sad  .  5i  > 
II    \     16 
Vill  .MT 
\\    .  106 


I   .,    V.75 
McC  .  aig 
N..HO 
Vill., 


and  pra  \ . 
( >i  break  the  fasts,  1  >r  plunder  by  the 

\\  ay  : 
Hear  now   the   \\  oid   of  Truth  from 

old  l\!ia\ yam,  — 
No  loving  hear!  can  wander  far  astray- 


lis 

\ml  w  hen   the  rose  shall  bloom  o'er 

Nature's  shrine, 
\ml     friends     in>  tte,     and     buo) ant 

\  (  mill  is  thine, 
Lift    high    the   howl     -eternal    life   is 

there  — 

\ikI  (how  n   thy   Borrow  s  in  the  103  a 

•  »r  w  me. 


Bod  .\.  1 1        \\  hen   \llah  Bel  the  steeds  of  Heaven        \  <    iu 


free, 
Mushti 


1  .('..11 


I ..  m  >sed   brighl    Pari*  in     and    Bhining 


Ptrwin,  the  Pleitdi 


+    Mushtari,  Jupiter, 


I  58  I 


RUBA'IYAT    OF    OMAR    KHAYYAM 


VonS.,264    i   My   life,    my   lot,    by   Kismat  X    was 
W.,i4o  ordained ; 

And  all   my    sins    are  part   of   Des- 
tiny. 


Bod.,  II,  2 
McC.,237 
N.,268 
Vill.,543 

Yon  S.,  307 
W.,3n 


Bod.,  VII,  17 
Gad.,  116 
H.A.,io5 

rs.,249 

Vill.,5o8 

W.,288 


70 

Who  fashioned  me  of  moistened  clay  ? 

Not  I  ! 
Who  spun  my  silk  and  wool  array? 

Not  I  ! 
And  who  the  good  and  ill  of  all  my 

life 
Upon  my  forehead  wrote  ?     Not  I  ! 

Not  I !  ! 


71 

Then  mark  my  scanty  virtues  one  by 
one, 

And,  ten  by  ten,  forgive  the  wrongs 
I  Ve  done ; 

Nor  fan  the  flame  and,  by  the  Proph- 
et's tomb, 

The  lire  will  die  and  anger' s  heat  be 
gone. 


\.<:.D,E, 
G,H 


B,F,G 


J  Kismat,  Fate. 

[59] 


R  L  B  VI  Y  IT    OF    OMAR     fcHAYYA  M 


Bod  .1    i 

II    \  .  ipg 

M<     .     i~ 

ViU.,543 

w.. 


\lv  nature  oil  o'ercomes  m\   might,        \  B,C, D 
"  —alas!'  I  ■'•  ■" 

\l\  deeds  bring  woe,  however  I  fight, 
^  —alas! 

\ii.1  though  I  trusl  God's  pardon  shall 
be  mine, 

The  shame  xv  1 1 1  never  leave  ni\  Bight, 


illil: 


-:; 


Bod.,  lit  But   thou    \\  ho   Bettesl   in   lli<"   w  a\    a 

1   G..V.80  8nare> 

\  mi.  i 

ii  \    |  |S  \\  ill)    threats    <»l    hell    for    all     w  ho 

Nl  '   ■  ".<"  Btumble  there, 

...  .  -  - 

P    V(  Umignt)    spirit,    whom   the  spheres 

\  in.. s  •  -  obe>  . 


\ 


\, ii. .;;:.', 


[s  mine  the  sin,  or  Thine  the  greater 


shar< 


.  -i 


74 


\\ 


,  iai 


B.G.H 


\\  hate'er  m\    life,   il   daw  ned  al   lli\         \  i  .  i»  i  . 

(•  iiiiin.iihl. 

\\  hate  er  m\  nature,    I  Is  w  hal  Thou 

hasl  plann'd  ; 
\<>r  w < >rse,  nor  better,  than   ii   came 

from  Thee  — 
\  helpless  thing,  the  creature  of  Th\ 

I. ..... I. 


•    I  ii        Whal  can  I 

The  throwing  back  ol  the  rhyme-word  several  syllables  ofl curt  in  tin 

i  ubi  ival. 

I  6o  I 


RUBAIYAT  OF  OMAR  KHAYYAM 


75 

Bod.,  IX,  66 

The  caravan  of  life  moves  strangely 

A,B,C,D, 

Gad.,  53 

on 

E,F,G,H 

F.G.,V,48 
Gar.,  I,  82 

It  wanes  and  fades,  then  waxes  clear 

II. A, Go 

anon  ; 

McC,  i65 
N.,io6 

Why     fret,     bright     saki,     o'er     to- 

Vill.,25i 

morrow's    doom  ? 

VonS.,  276 
W.,i36 

Come,  fill  the  goblet,   ere  the  night 

be  gone  ! 

76 

Bod.,X,3i 

But  oh,    that  God  would  make   this 

G,H 

F.G.,V,98 
Gar.,XIII,9 
MeG.,448 

world  anew, 
Before  mine  eyes  rebuild  it,  fair  and 

N.,457 

true, 

Vill.,84i 

VonS.,  238 

Or  from  the  roll  of  life  blot  out  my 

W.,486 

name, 
Or  take   from   life   my  wrongs    and 
burdens  too. 

77 

Bod.,V,25 

If  I  were  God,  how  swift  mine  anger 

A,C.D,E, 

F.G.,V,99 

dire 

F,G,H 

Gar.,  IV,  8 
McC.,378 

Would  sweep  away  this  universe  en- 

N.,34o 

tire 

P., 52 

Vill.,64i 

And  build  a  better,  where  the  soul, 

VonS.,  11 

set  free, 

W.,379 

Might     sometimes    reach   its    inmost 
heart's  desire. 

RUBA'IYAT    OF    OMAR    k  II  A  ,>  \  \  \l 


78 
11  \  .  ig  \  \ oice  th.it  haunts  the  path . .1'  pleas- 

u  are  '  calls, 

\ ml   f\  r\    In >  1 1 1    1  In'  ,iw  liil    warning 
fells  — 

I-  ■  K  in  >w   now,  I'  »ii\  ei .  when  you  die, 
N  )\     hll  . 
\ ml   Spring  8  Bofl    \ oice   m  1   human 
-1  ml  recalls  ! 


7!) 
Bod.,rv,4        Then  oh,  \\lui  profil  i<»  the  Bphere 

,;-!  inv  birth? 

11  \  ,:.i 

I  >l  .    \N  hell    I    (lie.    w  liiit     w  ill     iu\    (It-.illi 


Mc(    .1  <)."• 

N   .  |57 

P.,3i 

\  ill. 

\         -  (Mil     I. 'II 

w  . 


he   w  (  »i  ill  ? 

( h  \n  ho  beneath  l he  \ aull   of  I  leav  n 


(  >r  w  h\    w  e  C(  Mm'.  1  >r   w  h \   \\  e  Leave 
the  earth  ? 


80 
\  io        \ml   though   the}    be  the  noble  and 

*h  the  wise, 

1    1,    \   65 

,  1  .    \n  _       ihough  prophets  come  and  lofty  seen 
arise, 


II    II 


\,B.c.n, 

E.J  .(..II 


A.C.  D.l 
I  .(..II 


-78 


•   Lit.   I  bii  intelta  t  thai  win  bei  the  path  ol  happini 


■  Ido    1-  ill.-  1  elestial  iphere. 


RUBAIYAT  OF  OMAR  KHAYYAM 


vm.,266 

VonS.,  162 
W.,  209 


Bod,  IV,  3 
F.G.,V,2G 

McC.,252 

if.,  120 
Vill.,328 

Von  S.,  267 
W.,i47 


Cad.,  80 
H.A.,48 
Vill.,290 
W.,  222 


Bod.,  IV,  20 

Cad.,n3 

H.A.,101 

McG.,82 

N.,24o 

Vill.,507 

W.,280 


A,C,F,G, 

H 


E'en  these  emerge  not  from  the  sable 
night, 

But  tell  their  dreams  and  then  reclose 
their  eyes. 

81 
And  those  who  led  the  mighty  hosts 

of  thought, 
And  scaled  the  heav'ns  and  many  a 

myst'ry  sought, 
Became      amazed       whene'er      they 

thought  of  Thee, 
Their  minds  were  dizzied  and   their 

wisdom  naught. 


82 
And  Ave  who  love  to  drain  the  flagon        B,  F,  H 

deep, 
And  ye  who  pray  and  nightly  vigils 

keep, 
We  neither  know,  Ave  both  are  cast 

adrift ; 
But  One,  He  knows;   the  rest  are  fast 

asleep. 

83 
Take  counsel,  then,  and   give    thine 

ear  to  me, 
For  Allah's  sake  cast  off  hypocrisy  ; 
The  future  is  forever,  earth  but  now ; 
For  one  brief  hour  sell  not  eternity. 

[63  1 


A,B,C,D. 
F,G,H 


I;  I    h  VI  Y AT    OF    OMAR    KHAYYAM 


I    G..V, 

M    \    5o 

\iii..u»;7 
w  .  116 


\    , 

I  i. 

[II.  9 

II  \  ,8g  ' 
II.  I'  .7 

M   1 
N  .an 

Mil  .  134 
w   ,a5a 


III.  3 

Cad  .  10 

I  «, 

in  3 

II  \ 
\i  I 

\.ll 

• 


\    B.C.D, 

II    G,  II 


•  •  Oh,    learned   Fools,      the    1  oice   of      1:  h 

\\  isdom  saith, 
•  \\  li\    spend   the  h< >ura    in   talk   < >l 

life  and  death  ? 
T  is  dried  nj>  fruil .  g< »  taste  the  \  ine 

Instead  ; 
(  hi   w  li.it   can  ne'er  l><'   k n< >w  n .    w  h\ 

waste  \  1  >ur  lu«;ii h  ? 
85 
\\  hen   in   ilif  market-place  I  ^  1  < > j » j >« « 1 

one  da\ 
I \ »  w  atch  a  p<  > 1 1 < •  r •  |»<  winding  his  i  resh 

clay, 
The  «  l.i \  addressed  him   in  ;i   mj  stic 

tongue  — 

•  •  (  mce  I  nn  as  man .  s<  >  treal  me  gentl  \ . 

praj  :  " 

B6 

Then  though!  I  ho*  that  handle  once       \.  B.(    D, 

1       '    1  1    1    ...  11 

rin  braced 

Willi     \  earning    touch     s<  >me    peri 

Blender  w  aisl  ; 

\nil     how,     1  icrcha  nee,     1  In  >se     v'i<l . 

C(  mini, 1 1111  ng  lips 

In  rapture,  once,  <»n  other  li|>->  were 
placed . 


•    l  bii  quati  tin  ii  nol  ■•<  faithful  pai  iphi 

I  be  iasl   line,  .  .      .  .-  -       's ,  ii  k>  ob*  ure  that,  ai  Mi     II 

Mien  remarks,  it  bafilei  lattafactorj  translation. 

[64] 


RUBA'IYAT    OF    OMAR    KHAYYAM 


87 

Bod.,  VIII,  7 
Gar., Ill, 7 
McC,  270 

N.,119 

But  on  the  potter  sped,  nor  seemed 

to  feel 
The    touching    pathos    of   his    clay's 

G 

P., 22 
Vill:,a64 

VonS.,4 

appeal, 
Nor  thought  how  some  poor,  helpless 

human  frame 
Lay  prone  hefore   him  on  the  busy 

wheel . 

88 

Bod., Ill,  7 

Oh,    thoughtless    man,    this    mortal 

F,  G,  II 

McC,  i64 

N.,76 
Vill.,182 

clay  is  naught ;  — 

The  azure  vault  of  Heav'n    itself  is 

VonS.,i63 

naught ; — 

W.,78 

Then  take  what  joy  you  may,  your 

very  life 
Is  hut  a  passing  breath  —  and  that  is 

naught ! 

89 

F.G.,V,32 

No  mortal  eye  can  find  the  hidden  key, 

A,  C,  D,  E, 

McC,  2 
Vill.,628 

W.,389 

Nor  read  the  secret  of  eternity  ;  * 
Of   Thee   and   me,   behind  the  veil, 

they  speak, 
But  when  'tis  rent,  no  more  of  Thee 

and  me.  f 

F,H 

89 

*  J, I     iW  fAsrar-i-Azal),  the  secret  of  eternity. 
Compare  Quatrain  No.  3o. 

f  The  World-figment  of  Duality  (Thee   and  me)  disappears  when  the  veil  of 
human  illusion  is  rent  and  all  are  one  in  God. 
5  [65  1 


II  UBA'IYA  T    OF    OMA  R    KHAYYA  M 


9° 

For  oh,  brighl  saki.  the)  who  passed       \.r..<.i>. 
i    r  E,  F.G.H 

lirlt  i|v. 

I  i i    <ln^t    li,i\ c   (In ipped   be\ ond    the 

ii i \  bIic  door  ; 
I  beir   loft)    themes    Im\ e    turned    t<> 

empl \  wind. 
\ml    ii'iw    their    lip**   lie   locked    i<m- 
c\  ciiin  >re, 

!)' 
I  liit  ancienl   puzzle     of  the  Bpheres, 

.ili  inc. 

\\  bal  endless  toil  to  read  the  m\  sten  I 
I  Is  1'ni  ii  phant< >m  Ii oiii  tin-  bound- 
less deep, 

Blown  I  Kick  again  o'er  death's  mys- 
terious sea  I 

!>" 
I > i j t    life    sluill    rise    from    death    on        F.G.H 


i        \  1 1 .  i  i 
ii  \  .  i ',,. 
\i  i 

N  .  384 
Vill  . 
\  ..ii  v 
w   .  |  .8 

F.G..V,    3 


V.ao 

\.  8 
M  < 

Vill.,  184 

\  ..ii  v 
w  .  ■■-. 


i        i 
XI,  6 

\|.  I  .  .  nu 

Vill  .  193 

\ 
v 


\.<  .  h.  I' 
F.G.H 


b<  »;i ring  \\  nil:. 

\ ml  all  (Mir  fears  from  1 

aseless  \  isions 

Bpring  : 

Since  |s;i  s  breal Ii  re>  in 

•d  in \  w  c;i ried 

BOUI, 

\\  bere  arl  thou,  death 

1     (  Hi.  grave, 

where  is  1  hj  Bting  ! 

• 

The  M.,s  1  or  illusion  of  lift 


&i 


•   l.ii    •   It.  in. ,1  death  has  washed  its  hands  of  mj  being." 

I  66  I 


RUBA'IYAT    OF    OMAR    KHAYYAM 


Bod., I.  i 
McC.,439 
N.,365 
Vill.,727 
VonS.,  120 
W.,  4io 


93 

Sad,  severed  from  the  sea,  a  rain-drop 

sighed  ; 
And,    smiling    gently,    thus    the    sea 

replied  :  — 
"  Oh,  naught  divides  us,  for  in  God 

we  dwell, 
But  one  in  all,  for  all  in  One  ahide." 


G,H 


93 

*  This  quatrain  scarcely  admits  the  possibility  of  a  satisfactory  translation. 
Omar  tells  us  that  in  truth  there  is  none  other  but  God,  in  whom  we  are  all  one; 
and  that  it  is  only  by  the  revolution  of  a  single  point  that  we  are  separated. 

The  point  to  which  he  refers  is  the  dot  in  the  word  V.y^  (Khuda),  the  God 
who  is  the  fountain  of  life  and  from  whom  we  are  only  temporarily  separated. 

At  the  soul's  birth,  it  may  be  said,  the  revolution  of  the  point  commences, 
arRl  V  .AjS  (khuda)  becomes  \s\j>  (juda),  a  word  indicating  separation.  But 
the  separation  is  not  forever.  As  the  point  continues  to  revolve,  \Al>(juda) 
again  becomes  \\-\  (Khuda);  and  finally  our  souls  are  reabsorbed  in  the  divine 
fountain  whence  they  came. 

This  stanza,  considered  in  connection  with  stanzas  101,  102,  and  io3,  appears 
to  indicate  the  conclusion  to  which  Omar's -knowledge  of  natural  philosophy  had 
led  him.  Matter  is,  to  him,  indestructible,  eternal,  although  its  form  is  capable 
of  endless  changes;  the  human  body  of  to-day  is  the  earthen  vessel  or  the 
fragrant  flower  of  to-morrow;  —  the  verdure  that  clothes  the  river's  bank  to-day 
was,  yesterday,  the  form  of  a  lovely  woman;  and  even  the  very  dust  beneath  our 
feet  was  once,  perhaps,  the  beaming  eye  of  a  ravishing  beauty. 

So,  too,  the  philosopher-poet  must  have  seen  that  energy  is  indestructible, — 
now  taking  one  shape,  now  another;  ever  with  us  indeed,  but  often  hiding  its 
presence  behind  the  mask  of  an  unknown  form.  To-day,  the  rays  of  a  summer 
sun  fall  upon  the  snowy  peaks  of  the  distant  mountains,  and  to-morrow  the  snow 
is  a  mighty  ri\er  rushing  onward  to  the  sea;  —  to-day,  the  sun  smiles  upon  the 
ocean,  coaxing  its  vapours  up  to  Heaven,  and  to-morrow  a  gentle  rain  falls  upon 
the  face  of  the  thirsty  soil;  —  now,  the  hot  iron  is  plunged  into  the  vessel  of  cold 
water  and  its  heat  is  lost,  but  the  water  has  become  warmer,  for  that  which  was 
lost  has  been  found. 

Hence,  arguing  from  analogy,  Omar  seems  to  have  considered  life  as  a  thing 
indestructible, — changeable  in  form,  as  matter  and  energy  are  changeable,  and, 

[67  1 


II  I    B  VI  YAT    OF    o  \1  \  \\    KHAYYA  M 


!)i 

\  ill..  1 

Oh    1  In »u   in\    strength,  m\  ven  be- 

i .  ii 

w      . 

ing's  \n  hole, 
1  [earl   ol   ni\   heart .  and   soul   w  ithin 

m\   soul, 
I-  n mii    1  hee  alone  1  «■< ►me,  and  Th< >u 

Mil    Minn'. 

\l\  source,  in\  life,  my  parting  spir- 
it* s  goal. 

95 

Bod  ,V,5 

\ml   though   in   synagogue,  mosque, 

\.h.c 

.  i>. 

(  ...I  .  [5 
II    \      ■  ', 

Bchool,  or  ci'll . 

i.i.<, 

ii 

M   i 

Men,    seeking     Hea>  n     and    fearing 

N  .  16 

l>     n 

Sheol,  «Inn <-ll  : 

1       '.» 
Mil  ...:7 

^  el   he  \\  ho  k  now  s  the  secret   I  nil  li 

v      -  .  t33 

ol  God 

w  .  ',., 

Sow  s    no    Mich    chaff  and    scorns    the 

fear  of  Hell. 

like  them,  eternal,  i rial.     Thus,  when  our  turn  comes,  we  shall  Buffer  do 

paration,  but,  led  back  from  \  A  ^(separation)  to  Lv<v  God),  we  shall 
qi  e  more  upon  the  bosom  whence  u^  sprang. 
While  the  conclusion  thus  reached  is  in  accordance  with  the  Vedanta  doctrine 
of  the  reabsorption  of  the  individual  soul  in  the  Impersonal  Self,  the  Yedanta 
philosophers  taught  thai  all  matter  was  pari  of  the  world-figment,  a  mere  illusion, 
and  heno  not  eternal;  but  whether  Omar  (shared  this  view,  or  arrived  al  his  con- 
clusion in  the  \\  i>>  I  have  suggested,  bis  belief  in  the  ultimate  reabsorption  "I  td<- 
soul  mi  I  iod  i-  bevond  'I' »ubl 

■/. 

•  This  quatrain  evidently  refers  to  the  Sufi  belief  thai  we  finally  return  to  the 
Fountain  ol  Life. 


..  tbsorbed  in  the  Divine  Essence  h 
Heav<  d  ind  Hell  "       Wi 


>IM  .in   wild   llic     in 


RUBAIYAT  OF  OMAR  KHAYYAM 


96 

F.G..V.48 

Deep  from  the  circle  of  the  hidden 

A,G,D,E, 

Vill.,43i 

W.,254 

sphere, 

To  each,    in   turn,  the   cup  of  deatli 
draAvs  near  ; 

Then  do  not  sigh,  hut  when  it  comes 
to  thee, 

Take  thou  the  cup  and  drink  it  with- 
out fear. 

97 

F,H 

Bod, VIII,  53 
F.G..V,  20 
Gar.,  XII,  12 
McC.,434 

And  ye  who  ponder  over  creed  and 

prayer, 
And  ye  who,  dazed  by  doubt,  well- 

A,C,D,F, 
G,H 

N.,337 

P.,5i 

Vill.,638 

nigh  despair, 
Oh,  hear  the  voice  that,  sudden,  cries 

VonS.,8 

aloud  — 

W.,376 

"Fools,    the    right    path   is   neither 
there,  nor  there  !  " 

98 

Bod.,  I,  38 

'T  is   but  a  breath  betwixt  the  false 

A.C.D.E, 

F.G.,V,5o 

and  true, 

F,G,H 

Gar., VIII,  16 

McC.,46 

'Twixt  faith  and  doubt,  and  soul  and 

N.,20 

body  too  ; 

Vill.,  i3o 
W.,24 

Oh,    carpe   diem  I    all    that    life    can 

give 
Is  one  short  breath,  and  then  —  ah, 
would  Ave  knew  ! 

[69 


R  I    B  A  I  ^   \T    0  F    OMAR     KHAY1   \M 


more. 


oo 


II    \  ,3g 

\.ll...> 


The  w  ine  a  a  rub)  and  the  cup  a  mine  ; 
I  be  cup  is  body,  and  the  soul  is  w  ine  : 
I > 1 1 1   ah,    the   crystal   cup   contains  a 

tear,  — 
\  bleeding  bearl  is  hidden  in  the  \  ine. 


mi 
\  in  I  l<>.  this  vintage  *  running  through 


i   < .  .  \ . :.  i 
Gar.,  \.  i 

\l .  « 


the  \  ems 
( )f  all  creation,  <>  er  creation  reigns ; 
In  plants  and  creatures  m;in\  a  l< >rm 


VonS  sustains 


\nd  though  they  die,  the  essence  -Mil 
remains. 


l,C,D,E 

i.i. .ii 


99 

Bod., VII,  44     Embarrassed  offspring  ol   the  primal 

x"  four, 

... 
Mil   ---,  ind  -in  nfold  Hea\  n,  —the  mysl  n 

"•»43i  whelms  thee  o'er  ; 

Comi  i  v    •     i       i  r   ■         ii-  ill 

p  q    y    >k      \j rmk.  deep,  mj  inena,  I  \  e  told  I  nee 
man}  a  time, 

I  )i'|m rird  * ince,  tin ui  shall   return   m  > 


B,  I  .  II 


\   «     hi 
I  .(,.11 


I    i   *  a.  ,  1    an  I'"  I.,  1 1  ,  1 1  i.i  i  vintage,  aa  Whinfield,  Nicolas,  and  other! 
the  Calcutta  MS    reads  ^    ^  (an  mah),  thai   moon,  a  variation  which  perhaps 
waa  intended  for  ^^-    UT  (an  mai),  thai   vintage,    a   reading   thai    would 
I.,  it.  i  with  the  other  texts. 

+  The  later   followeri  of  the   VedanU   sagea  taughl   thai    the  soul  can  pass 

through  man)  conditions,  ii the  lowesl  terrestrial  organism  to  thai  ol 

like  deni»  n  of  Heaven,  bj  i  proi  tdual  development  ;  bul  that,  bow<  v<  i 

I  7"  I 


RUBA'IYAT  OF  OMAR  KHAYYAM 


I02 

Bod., VIII,  92 

And    when    the    clouds    arise,    with 

A 

c, 

D,E, 

F.G.,V,23 
McC,  1 56 
ft  ■ ,  70 

Imber's  plume, 
And  rains,  caressing,  coax  the  earth 

F, 

G, 

H 

Vill.,187 

to  bloom, 

Von  S.s  5o 
VV.,73 

Oh,   think  an  hat  blossoms  from  our 

. ,  j  v 

dust  shall  spring, 
And    throw   their    fragrance    on    the 
breeze,  —  for  whom  ? 

io3 

Bod.,  VI,  24 

And    those    soft    robes    yon    shaded 

A, 

c, 

D,E, 

F.G.,V,20 
Gar.,  IV,  3 
McC.,  123 

streamlets  Avear, 

F, 

G, 

H 

Perchance    may    spring    from    some 

ft".,  59 
Vill.,61 
Von S.,  84 

celestial  fair  ; 
Ah,    scorn  them   not,   nor,    careless, 

W.,62 

tread  them  o'er  ; 
Who  knows  what  beauty's  head  lies 
resting  there  ? 

io/J 

Bod.,  Ill,  4 

Nay,    crush   them   not,  for  long  ere 

A 

c, 

D,E, 

Gar.,  VI,  7 
McC.,  70 
ft.,  29 

we  were  born, 
Day  changed  to  night  and  night  again 

F, 

G, 

H 

Vill.,n3 

to  morn  ; 

great  its  virtue,  it  cannot  be  reabsorbed  in  the  Divine  Essence  until  it  learns  the 
one  great  truth  of  its  impersonal  unity  with  the  Undifferenced  Self,  —  with  the 
great  First  Principle  that  underlies  the  world-figment,  or  Maya,  of  which  even 
the  heavens  and  the  gods  are  themselves  a  part. 

The  doctrine  of  Metempsychosis  appears  to  have  been  absorbed  by  the  earlv 
Aryans  from  some  of  the  lower  races  with  whom  they  came  into  contact,  and  it 
certainly  mars  the  singular  beautv  of  their  earlier  belief. 

[-■I 


R  L  BA'J  \  A  T    o  F    O  M  V  II    KHAY^    \M 


VooS     i 


Bod.,  VIII,  3! 

(  Sad   .  i   l6 

li,      \.    II 

Gar.,  VI,  6 

M  I    .  .,/, 
N  .  269 
\ill  . 

VonS.,3o8 
\\  ,3ia 


ll    \  .  [36 


Tin-    dust,    perchance,    was    once  a 

beaming  eye, 
Or  lovel)  mole.  I»\  bright-eyed  beaut) 


1 1  >:» 

Come,    friend,   an   hour  of  pleasure       \  <  .i>  1:, 

ere  we  go,  1 . « ■.  11 

For  Life's  sw  eel   breath   w  ill  soon   be 

Binking  low  : 
To-morrow  b    dawn    may   find    both 

you    and    me 
Willi   those  who  wcnl   srv'n   thousand 


Io6 

\  1 1  <  1  yonder  skies  too  often  tear  away       p  | 
( >n r  dearesl  friends,  and  all  our  bopea 
betra)  ; 

So.    Darling,  live —  h\<'  now.    while 

life  is  ours  ; 
To-morrow  -  naught,  and   naughl   la 

yesterday  . 


•    Whinfield  ippenda  the  following  Dote  :  - 

••  Badauoi  1 1 1 .    I  I     myi  the  i  n  ilion  ol  VI  mi  wu  7000  rears  before  bia  ti 

It- I 


RUBA'IYAT    OF    OMAR    KHAYYAM 


107 

Cad., 

98 

And  see,  this  cup  hath  rose-red  wine, 

B 

HA. 

,92 

—  may  be  ; 

This   crystal   cup  s  a  ruby  mine,  — 
may  be  ; 

This  Avater    sparkles    with   a  melted 
gem  ; 

Through    moonlight's   veil   the    sun- 
beams shine,  —  may  be. 

108 

Bod. 

VI,  29 

Who  brought  thee  here  this   eve  at 

A,C,D,E, 

McC. 

N.,3 
Vill., 

,  120 

twilight,  —  who  ? 

F,G,H 

22 

From    harem's    gloom    to    sparkling 

W.,5 

moonlight,  —  who  :j 
Who  raised  thy  veil  to  fan  the  love 

that  burns 
When    thou   art    absent  ;    who,    my 

lovelight,  —  who  P 

109 

Bod. 

1,5 

Thou  precious  jewel  of  this  yearning 

G 

McC 

,  122 

heart, 

N.,2 

Vill., 

21 

Choice   of  my   spirit,  of   my   soul  a 

part,  — 
What  is   so  dear  to  me  as  life,   but 

thou  ? 
And  sweeter  far  than  life  itself   thou 

art. 

73] 


RL  BA'n   V  T    OF    o  M  \  R    KHAYYA'M 


IK) 


Cad.,i  Drink    neath   the  moonbeams,   greet       \  r..<    i>. 


i  G    \  .  i  i  i.  i 

Gar . ,  II ,  4 

II    \ 
M  I       | 
N  ,8 
\ill  .  i 
Von  S 

*  ■: 


me  with  a  Bong  ; 
I  o-nighl   we  live,  >w  eel  m<  k  >n .    and 

love  is  strong  ; 
To-morrow,  when  \\  < '  lie  beneath  the 

Bod, 
The   moon   shall   seek    us,  and   shal] 

seek  iis  long. 


i  .  i  .< 


i  i  i 

i\.i"7     She    tears   nigh!  s    robe   and    lo,    the        G 
'/      "    '  doom  has  fled  ■ 

\ill  . 

VonS.,3i3        rpi  •  I,-  ii  ,| 

I  In-    selisame    in<»« hi     will     rise     the 


So   drink,    m\    l< >ve,    for    w  hen    our 
souls  have  sped , 


II   \  ,58 
Vill.,274 


same,  and  sel . 
N «  h    shadow    mark  the  mightv  world 
o'erhead, 

1  1  a 

Those   countless   <>rl><    thai    roll   o'er        B,F 
I  leaven  a  main, 

I \'\  |ilr\    1  he   learn  <l .    their   m\  si  ries 
^hll  remain  ; 


•  Not«  the  plaj  upon  the  word  mah  in  the  line 

Mai  nusfa  banur  >  mah  ai  mah  ki  mah 

The  fii-t  mah  stgnifiefl  the  moon;  the  second,  <<  beautiful  woman;  tnd  the  third 
1  ithcr  //"•  moon  <»r  //"•  month, 

I:'.  I 


RUBA'IYAT    OF    OMAR    KHAYYAM 


Oh,  seek  not  whence  they  come,  or 

whither  bound, 

The    wise    grow    dizzy    'neath    their 

mighty  train. 

n3 

Bod.,  1, 8 
F.G.,Y,5i 

and  52 
Gar.,X,  5 

And  Thou,  avIio  hidest  now  behind 

the  blue, 
In  all  existence  art  Thou  seen  anew  ; 

A,C,D,E, 
F,G,  H 

McG.,346 

N.,443 

Vill.,757 

VonS.,  172 
W.,475 

Thy  wondrous  deeds  to  please  Thy- 
self are  done  ; 
Thou  art  the  actor  and  spectator  too. 

n4 

Bod.,  HI,  17 

'Tis  but  a  moment,  and  the  myst'ry  's 

F,G,H 

Gar.,X,  2 
lVfcG.,426 

N.,328 

gone,  — 
A  breath,  a  whisper,  and  the  secrets 

Vill.,629 

done ; 

W.,36r/ 

This  mighty  universe  and  all  there- 
in — 

Earth,    sky, — man,    angel,    God, — 
All,  All  are  One.* 

114 

*  Justice  is  the  soul  of  the  universe  and  the  whole  universe  is  a  body; 
The  angels  are  the  perceptions  of  this  body; 

The  heavens  and  the  elements  and  their  offspring  are  its  members; 
There  is  only  unity  and  the  rest  is  all  deception. 

The  belief  in  the  existence  of  God  in  everything,  since  everything  is  a  part  of 
God,  pervades  the  poetry  of  the  Sufis;   thus,  Jami  writes :  — 

y  f**'.^  fU*  *$»  jr^U  «3 


II  I    BA'Il    \  T    OF    OMAR     (CHAYYA'M 


( Jomj 

Bod.,rV,  16 
( lad.,  i  1 5 
I   G.,Vt8a, 

G  i  ,111,8 

II        \.hu 

McC  ,n5 

N  .  i43 

Vill.,5og 

VonS 

w    . 


One  eve,  when   Ramazan  was  Dearly 

o  er, 
I  chanced,  again,  \\  ii Inn  the  |>< •( ter  b 

(|(  M  >l\ 

\\  here  earl  hen  pots  <  >f  man  \  a  shape 

and  size 
I  p<  hi  I  he  table  laj .  and  on  I  he  door. 

i  Hi 

\inl    BOme    were   \\  rapped    in    silence.         Quotation! 
Others  noi  :  onlefWiand 

A ix I  one  spake  Loudly,    mid  a  wrang- 


ling Lot  — 

••  W  li\    talk    ye    llms   and    thus,    ye 

know    not   what? 
Who  i<  the  poller,  pray,  and  who  the 

pol  ? 


margin  are 
translations 


•  ■I  quatrains 
found  in 
\.  B,C,D, 

E,  I •'.  G,  II 


Sometimes  the  wine,  sometimes  the  cup  I  call  Thee  ; 

Sometimes  the  grain,  sometimes  the  nel  I  i  ill  Thee  ; 

Save  Thj  name,  there  is  nol  a  letter  upon  the  tablel  of  the  universe. 

Oh,  b)  whal  name  shall  I  call  Thee? 

This  stanza  offers  a  e I  illustration  of  the  throiv-back  and  rediY,  as  the  rh 


word 


M»    I'ini.    ihiin. 


il  nam  are  thrown  back  to  the  middle  of  their  respective  lit 


•  This,  and  the  succeeding  quatrains,  I »;» n <>  onlj   a  slender  foundation  in  the 
ml.. i  iyal  oi  Omai       Su{      jted  bj  the  work  ol  Mi    I  itzGerald,  the)  were  written 

ing  translation,  and  retained,  as  alreadj  stated  in  the  inlrodui 
lion,  foi  the  purpose  of  indicating,  bj  marginal  reference,  tomeol  the  sources  oi 
his  <  hai ming  K uza  Mama. 

Those  \ v  1 1 ■  ■  an  desirous  "I  consulting  the  Persian  quatrains  upon  which  thej 
referred  to  numben    i83,    ia6,  iq3,  a  1 8,  and    lg3  o!  Whinfield't  text, 
I  -6  I 


RUBA'IYAT    OF    OMAR    KHAYYAM 


Compare 
F.G.,V,8 
Yill.,io3 
W.,126 


II7 
"Well,"    said  another,    "you    have 

naught  to  say  ; 
If  still  the  potter  live,  he  's  far  away; 
We  are  the  pots,  hut  then,  what  do 

we  here  ? 
The  buyer  and  the  seller,  where  are 

they  ?" 

118 
Then  spake  a  vessel  of  less  comely 

make  — 
"They    say    that    when    the     potter 

comes  he  '11  break 
All  shapes   ungainly.      Are  the  pots 

to  blame 
Because   the    hand   that  made   them 

chanced  to  shake  ? 

IX9 
"Thy  handles  cracked,  my  spout  is       A,  CD,  E, 

all  awry,  F>H 

Nor  can  we  change  them,  howsoe'er 

we  try  ; 
For  his  mistake,  shall  we  be  thrown 

aside, 
Lest  our  ill  shape  offend  his  perfect 

eye  ? 


edition  of  i883.  The  clearness  of  the  type,  the  presence  of  the  kasra-i-isafat,  and 
the  use  of  accents  that  prevent  ambiguity,  greatly  simplify  the  reading  of  this 
text. 


K  I  HA' I  ^  A  T    0  V    0  M  A  R    K  II   \  \  N    \  \I 


Bod.,n,3 

I   G..V.88 

\l  «    .  i8i 

Vill.,3i8 

\    n  g  .  -  5 

W.i 


( lompare 
Cad., 84 

I  G.,V,o< 

II  \  .  i5ti 

\.ll  .  158 
w  ,218 


1  a<  1 

• '  \rc  w c  i<  1  blame,  and  bo  !>•'  cas(  i< 1 
Hell? 

(  Inn   tln<  be    1 111*'.   ,1-    -.  mi.'    \\  i^.-    pip- 
kin- tell  ?  " 

*  *  V  >.  in »,     cried  out  ;i  pit »iis  lit  1  If  i»<  ii . 

"He  11  liii\  e  s<  »iii«'  mere)  f  and    1  w  ill 
all  be  well  I  " 

1  a  1 

\nd  w  bile  the)  talked,  the  time  Bped 

1 1 1 1 1 1  •  k  I  \    on. 

Till  aew-moon  (Mine  and  Ramazan 

w  as  gone  : 
\ikI  stealing  sofllj  through  the  open 

door, 
\  dusky  porter  seized  them,  one  l>\ 


OIK' 


32 


<  ^"iiij  \  in  I  down  the  ages  hasthe  ston  rolled, 

M  '      , ,s       Of   red-cla\    Fashioned    into    human 

M  I     .  1  1 
Vill.,773 

w  .  io3 


mould, 

\.nl  ailed  b)    \lk.li.  with 

the 

breath 

Of  life. 

Till   Death   Bteals  througl 

the 

door. 

and   ILL  is  101. i) : 

\    I     h.K. 
F.G.H 


B,  II 


\.<  .  I>.  I 
1  .  II 


•    Raraaxan,  the  ninth  month  of  tl>«-  Muhammadan  year,  i-  devoted  to  i 
hem  •■.  ..i  ita  close,  the  vessels  would  \«-  needed  for  the  roasting  of  Shawwal,  lh< 
tenth  month. 


JU 


' 


